Naruto: World Tour Edition!
by ThunderCross
Summary: Since the day the choice was made, he left the one place he called home. Left behind the few people that he cared for. Left behind Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha. Now he is simply Uzumaki Naruto the adventurer. Just a boy who wants to travel the world. AU.
1. Beginning of the Grand Adventure!

Naruto stared at the iron cage ahead of him, face contorted in a way to show the inner decisions clouding his mind. Should he let his friend continue to sleep while he conducted his business? Or should he wake him up and enjoy the company? Choices….

Naruto just shrugged and sat on the ground and got to work. Before him, several sheets of paper and bottles of ink appeared out of thin air for his use. It was so nice to have a mindscape that provided limitless things. All you really need is a very vivid imagination.

Uzumaki Naruto was known to be unpredictable in his former village.

Taking the first sheet of paper and dipping a brush with ink, Naruto wrote careful and neat strokes. He calmed himself as he started to get creative in his craft. The endless possibilities of Fuinjutsu. Over the years, he made many seals that crashed and burned because he didn't write the proper kanji or missed a vital element. Hell, he couldn't count how many times he nearly died because of these mistakes!

If it wasn't for his best friend, he would've been dead many times over.

"You're in here already?" Speak of the devil…

"And a good morning to you too. Enjoyed your cat nap?"

A low growl echoed in the mindscape. "I'm a fox, dammit! The greatest demon in the-"

"Yeah, yeah. The world weeps with terror at the mention of your presence." He stared at the huge red eyes that were laid on him. "Can you transform into your female form again? I want something good to look at while I do this."

"EXCUSE ME?! How dare you talk to me like that, you-" The being stopped when he noticed Naruto focusing on the doodles forming on his papers. That brat. Maybe it wasn't a wise idea to inform the brat of the many…abilities that were in disposal.

Then again….it's not as if the being hated looking like some dame. So it didn't take long to transform and walk out the cage.

Naruto looked up once a shadow shrouded his form…and let back to work with a smile on his whiskered face. "That's better, Kyu-chan."

The now revealed Kyuubi scoffed at him and looked down at Naruto's progress before looking itself over. Hair that had the same color as its fur. Caramel skin covered with a blue and white kimono with flowing sleeves and fox insignia centered on it. Its legs were covered with thigh-high tabi socks.

Yup. This is what the great demon Kyuubi was reduced to. At least she looked like someone dangerous. If her container wanted less clothes to adorn her form, his head was going off.

Shaking her head, Kyuubi looked at Naruto again. "What seal are you aiming for this time?"

Naruto made a humming noise as he brought a hand to his chin. "Well….I'm trying to create one that disrupts chakra on touch. I've already made one that can go on paper but those have to stick onto someone for a least a good minute or two." He looked at his gloved hands. They were well made if he said so himself. He managed to buy them from a village on the edge of Hi no Kuni. The labor he had to perform to get these gloves was worth it. "If I can make a seal that can be created on my palm and have the pattern attach to an enemy…"

"You're trying to do the technique your father created."

Naruto paused for a moment. From the stories Kyuubi told him, his father always managed to stick some sort of seal on someone so he can instantly teleport to their location. He always thought that was cool. But…

"In a way. But I don't want to learn Hirashin(Flying Thunder God). That can remain in my dad's legend." He bore his blue eyes on Kyuubi. "I'll make my own trademark. My own legend." He went back to writing. "That won't be for a while though. I still have to travel this world. I've been staying in the same spot for years."

Kyuubi narrowed her slit eyes at Naruto. "You think you're ready for the world, Naruto? I can tell you from experience that it can be harsh and downright pitiful."

"That's because it's in your nature to look at the world like that." Naruto stood up from his spot on the ground. "Me…I want to see what it has to offer for myself." He smiled at Kyuubi. "Maybe you'll see what I see when the time comes."

Kyuubi stared at her host before walking towards him in a slow manner. She knew she had his attention when he stared at her like a dangerous predator who stalked towards their pray. She stopped when he was two meters from his face. "For your sake, you better not get yourself killed. I will be damned if my existence is erased because my host was incompetent."

Naruto stared back unflinchingly. Even if he was getting challenged and/or was a little intimidated at Kyuubi's demeanor, Naruto met it head on. This was something he wanted to do ever since he left Konoha years ago.

Left his home from the day he was born.

Left the few people that showed him genuine kindness.

Left behind Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha.

Now he was simply….Uzumaki Naruto the traveler. Just a boy who wanted to travel the world and broaden his skills.

"You don't need to worry about anything." He even got closer. So close that they're noses were touching. "That's a promise."

Slit red eyes into shining blue eyes.

Then the stare was broken when Kyuubi turned around and returned to the cage. But not before looking over her shoulder at Naruto. "I'm still not convinced. But it's better than staying in one place." She looked forward again. "Don't screw up."

Naruto mock saluted before disappearing from his conscious. Kyuubi stared at the spot again before she fully retreated into the cage again.

* * *

Now back in reality, Naruto stood up from the rocky floor he sat on and stretched. His muscles felt stiff but it was nothing a bit of physical exercise could solve. Getting his clothes on and walking out of the cave, Naruto breathed in the fresh air and exhaled with a grin on his face. Deciding to wash up a bit, he walked to the nearest stream and rubbed his face with the water.

From the reflection painted on the stream, Naruto took a good look at himself. He wore a dark, short sleeved green hoodie with orange flames on the hems that stayed open to reveal an orange shirt underneath. On his lower half, he wore loose fitted black pants with matching flame patterns around the thighs and ankles. His hands were covered with blue gauntlets that were triangular around the knuckles and had two horn-like extensions on the paddings.

Other than that, his hair was still sunny blond and spiky(albeit a bit longer), eyes blue, whiskers that stood out on his tan skin and confident grin on his lips.

Yep. Let it be said that Uzumaki Naruto wanted to be badass and look badass.

'One does not wear that hideous color to look 'badass'. At all.'

'Oh screw you, fuzzy. I make the color look supreme, dattebayo!'

'….you actually said a big word. There's hope for you yet.'

Ignoring his partner, Naruto decided to head to the next village and get some supplies.

His grand adventure begins now!

* * *

"Team 7 passed, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, stared outside of his window and at his village. He always loved staring at the home that he swore to protect ever since the responsibility of being its leader was passed onto him. The people were happy, the village prospered, and the new generation continued to shine even today.

Yet deep down, he cursed it. For because of the villagers who held such deep grudges that refused to go away, one of Konoha's shining natives left and never returned.

His grandson in all but blood.

"Did they, Kakashi?"

"Their teamwork still needs a bit of fine tuning. But I'm confident that it can still work out nicely."

Hiruzen stared outside the window for a bit longer before turning around and facing one of his strongest ninja still in service. Hatake Kakashi, no matter how many quirks he had, was always ready to serve Konoha to its fullest. The silver haired man was the epitome of shinobi that others wished they could rise to.

Yet Hiruzen knew deep down, this man was ashamed of himself. Ashamed for letting his sensei's legacy down and never making up for it.

"You know…Naruto was supposed to be on your squad eventually if he remained here and graduated from the academy."

At that, Kakashi's posture slacked a bit. "Hokage-sama, at your command, I can search for him again."

"I appreciate that but you're needed for the next generation. Especially for Uchiha Sasuke."

Uchiha Sasuke. That young girl was a wild card if he didn't see one in a Genin. Survivor of the infamous 'Uchiha Massacre'. That was one of Konoha's dark days, indeed. How one shinobi managed to kill one of the Elemental Nations most revered clans in one night…its downright terrifying. Kami knows what kind of effect it left with young Sasuke.

To know that her older brother was the one who ended her innocence.

"If you're certain, sir."

"I am." Hiruzen sat in his chair again and prepared his pipe with the finest tobacco around. "Do not worry, Kakashi. My student, Jiraiya, still searches for him till this day. And my closest shinobi keep an eye out while on their missions. Rest assured, we will find Naruto. Hopefully sooner rather than later."

Kakashi still didn't feel 100% convinced but said nothing more. He had a Genin team to care for now. "By your leave, Hokage-sama." Seeing his leader's nod, Kakashi walked out the door.

Alone once again, Hiruzen brought the pipe to his weathered face and took a long drab before breathing out the sweet smelling smoke into the air.

'Naruto….'

* * *

**Well. This is an attempt I wanted to try out. I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. And yes, those gloves are similar to the ones Jin Kazama wears. Naruto doesn't just wear them for fashion sense so look out for that later.**

**Criticism is gold. (Edit: Made small changes here and there. People still read this lame intro for some reason. XD) 7-20-2013**


	2. An Underground Tournament? Why not!

"You're not serious are ya, kid?"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed behind his head as the shopkeeper looked at him with a deadpan stare. "Sorry, ossan. It's been so long since I've been to a town that I forgot about having money on me."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "How can a kid like you _forget _about having money on your person? Didn't your parents teach you that lesson?"

"I'm an orphan."

"Oh." There was an awkward silence for a bit before the shopkeeper spoke again. "Well, I wish I could be lenient on ya, kid. But profits are a little under the weather for me recently and I need all the business I can get."

Naruto clapped his hands together and put them in front of his bowed face. "Please sir. Is there any way I can pay you for this stuff? I really need them for my journey." He looked up. "I'm willing to work for it. Any labor you need done, I'm your man…err, kid."

"Sorry, kid." Seeing the young kid in front of him sigh, the shopkeeper decided to appease him. It certainly was a letdown when a kid of all people wanted to purchase 10 bottles of his highest quality ink, 10 stacks of sealing paper and a set of kunai, shuriken and other stuff ninja bought. "You know. There might be a way for you to make some quick cash."

Naruto focused on him. "Please tell me."

"Well…I know some lumberjacks in the village that need help harvesting some wood…."

"Tell me where and I'll go immediately!"

The shopkeeper pointed his finger out of the shop. "They gather around the southern part of the village. You'd best start from there."

"Thanks a lot, ossan! I'll have the money for you in no time, dattebayo!" With that, Naruto ran out of the shop.

"Kids these days…"

* * *

'You really should have planned this out better, you know.'

'Cut me some slack, Kyu. Back then, having money was the least of my concerns.'

Kyuubi let out a sigh in her cage. 'I can tell this journey is going to be _fantastic._'

Naruto ignored the sarcastic comment in favor of looking around the small village he ended up in. It was fortunate enough that a village resided close to the forests he lived in for years now. The population wasn't that large which showed with the few houses there were. But all around him was activity that presented the usual lifestyle of the people here. Clothes were hanged to dry, gardens were tended to, hammers pounded against wood to drive nails into them.

It was truly a village that was out of the way. He wondered if any ninja came here from time to time. Less likely since these people didn't attract any attention.

Squinting his eyes ahead, Naruto saw the lumberjacks chopping wood up ahead and stacking them in huge piles. Grinning, he ran up to them. "Hey! You guys need help with that stuff?"

Hearing someone call out to them, the three lumberjacks stopped their work and looked at Naruto. Then they looked at each other and laughed.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

After getting their laughs and wiping their faces of any tears that welled up, they looked at Naruto again. The lead one, who wore a dirtied white shirt and blue pants, stepped up and looked at Naruto. "Kid, you don't even look like you can 'help' with this kind of labor."

Naruto had a determined look on his face. "Just try me, ossan."

Chuckling again, the man pointed to a stacked pile of wood. "If you think you're 'strong' enough," His crew chuckled at that. "Then it should be no problem for you to carry these piles to," He pointed to a shed that was a few miles away from them. "That shed over there. But again, you don't look like you can handle that."

"Then let's make a bet. If I carry all your wood to that shed over there, each of you will pay me 1250 ryo each."

The lumberjacks looked at each other before looking at Naruto again. "Make it 1000 each and you got a deal."

Naruto grinned and ran towards the pile of wood. "I'll be done in no time, dattebayo!" Picking up the pile with gusto, Naruto ran towards the shed and placed them in there before running back and grabbing another pile.

All the lumberjacks stared slack jawed as Naruto ran back and forth carrying heavy piles of wood like it was nothing.

"That kid is unreal…"

Naruto ran in front of the crew again. "That all the wood or are you guys not done yet?"

_4 hours later…_

The crew of lumberjacks stared at the neat pile of wood inside of their shed then back at Naruto who looked on proudly at his work. Not only did it prove to be a good workout for him, the money would get him started on his journey.

The first stretch of it anyway.

"I still don't believe it…"

"How are you not winded from all that…"

Naruto stared at the men with a shit eating grin on his face. "I'm just that awesome, dattebayo."

Resounding to their fate, each of the four men pulled out their wallets and paid Naruto for the day of work.

* * *

"You're back, I see…"

"Yup!" Naruto pulled out his money. "How much of the supplies from earlier can I get with this money?"

The shopkeeper stared at the money in Naruto's hand then at the supplies on his counter. Truth be told, the supplies cost a bit more than the amount that was presented. But he can tell that the kid worked hard to get the cash necessary.

If the minute amounts of dirt on his person was anything. And he needed money so…

"Yeah, kid. It's enough."

"Yes!" Quickly putting the money on the counter, Naruto picked out a storage scroll and sealed everything into it with a quick hand sign and ran out the store while yelling, "Thanks, ossan!"

The shopkeeper just sighed and put the money away. "What a weird kid…"

* * *

'Yosh. Got all the supplies I need now.'

'Is that truly enough?'

'Gotta start small, Kyu. Sides, it's not as if I'm fighting in a war right off the bat.'

'Hmph. Whatever.'

"Hey, you heard about the underground tournament going on near Otafuku Gai?"

Naruto stopped when he heard a villager say that sentence to another villager in an open booth. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, he slipped into the alleyway near them and continued to listen.

"Underground tournament? What's that all about?"

"I managed to hear it from a friend who's going to Otafuku Gai cause of it. Apparently, some rich tycoon is inviting anybody who can fight to duke it out for some huge payday. Thing is, they're keeping it under the bridge."

"You don't say? Sounds like something worth seeing."

"It is. And I would've gone with him too but my wife is going into labor soon so I gotta stick around."

"Wow. Are ninja gonna be in it?"

"Maybe. Thing is, it's an unofficial event so if any of the higher ups or anyone gets wind of it…."

"It'd be a shame."

"Yeah. Speaking of…."

Naruto deemed that to be enough and stopped listening to them. 'You hear that, Kyuubi? A fighting tournament! With a huge reward at the end!'

'Yes, I heard them as well. And judging from the tone of your voice, you want to partake in it.'

'I'd be stupid not to.'

Kyuubi had a retort for that but she kept it closed. 'You did hear that it's unofficial, right? Meaning if villages such as Konoha get wind of it, you're in trouble.'

Naruto instantly frowned when his old home was mentioned. If Konoha indeed found out that he was there, then its shinobi would be deployed in a heartbeat to get him. He barely managed to escape them the last time.

Knowing the old man…

He shook his head and responded to Kyuubi. 'I'm willing to take that risk. What's an adventure without facing danger?'

'Your funeral. I suggest you leave now and head for Otafuku Gai before it gets dark.'

'Gotcha.' Making sure that he had the scroll with the supplies in it, Naruto left the village and made a beeline for Otafuku Gai.

* * *

Naruto had his hands on his knees as he breathed in and out from running from the village to Otafuku Gai. No matter how much stamina he had, it didn't mean limits weren't present. Still, it didn't take him long to catch his breath and look at the sights around him.

Otafuku Gai certainly was a drastic change to the village he was just in. Everywhere around him, people were walking around basking in the sites and enjoyed themselves in the activities presented to them in the many entertainment venues. Looking above him, he saw many decorations and signs pointing in different directions and advertising key locations.

"Woooww…"

'You going to stand there forever?'

Naruto was brought back to earth by that comment and looked at the people who looked at him funny. There were a few girls who eyed him for a different reason but he didn't notice that.

Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, Naruto continued on and walked through the city. They were a few stands he wanted to partake in but he had a goal to accomplish so he stayed focused and kept an eye out for anything that seemed suspicious.

'Now where would someone host an underground tournament?'

'I don't know, Naruto. Underground maybe?'

'You're not helping.'

'Naruto, why don't you take to the rooftops for this one? Try to look for someone suspicious. They will lead you to the proper location.'

Heeding the advice, Naruto jumped on top off a building and looked from the high vantage point. All of the people under his gaze looked normal and happy from the stuff they were doing. Jumping to another building, he had the same result as the last one. This went on for a little bit before he saw something that caught his eye.

One man came from an alleyway wearing a trench coat that covered his entire person with a high collar that hide the bottom half of his face from view. Deciding to watch this closely, Naruto followed him from above and monitored his movements. From his observations, he noticed that the man kept sweeping his gaze all around him. He couldn't blame him really. Going to an event like this was risky in itself.

After what seemed like forever, Naruto saw him go into a backdoor in an alleyway along with two other people who came afterwards. Nodding to himself, Naruto jumped down and went inside.

* * *

After walking down a set of stairs, Naruto came to a door and opened it. What he saw made him gasp in wonder.

A huge room filled his eyesight. There were numerous tables surrounding a big cage that covered a circular platform that had a mike stand standing in the middle of it. All around him, people filled the room with numerous conversations and laughter. Waitresses walked in revealing attires serving many different patrons and a booth that took bets had a long line of people.

Yep. This was his place. Now to find the registration area…

"Hey! What's a kid like you doing here?!"

Naruto stared at a tall man in an expensive suit then all around him since the attention was on the confrontation.

"I'm here to compete in the tournament, dattebayo!"

Silence. Everyone gave him the silent treatment until they laughed at him. Loudly. Seeing this, Naruto had an angry blush on his face.

When the laughter died down somewhat, the man from before walked up to him. "That's rich, kid. Now why don't you go back above ground and find your mommy before it's too late."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "I'm completely serious here!" He pointed his finger at the man. "I'm competing in this tournament!" Naruto then pointed his finger at everyone in the room. "And I'm kicking all your asses and claiming that prize, dattebayo!"

"Such a bold statement." Naruto looked at the shadow in front of him and turned around to see a tall, muscular man looking down at him. He had a spiky Mohawk on his head and a mask that covered his mouth. He wore barbarian armor that wrapped around his large physique and dark pants. He also had a black and gray mace strapped to his side that went with his armor. "But I don't see you kicking my ass. In fact," He brought his face in front of Naruto's so his vile breath was in close range. "I eat punks like you for breakfast. So do yourself a favor and leave if you know what's good for ya."

"I'm not scared of ya, ugly! I'll beat your face in so hard, your boyfriend won't recognize ya!"

Before the man could say anything, a chuckle attracted his and Naruto's attention. Turning around, they noticed a short, old man flanked by two tall bodyguards. Judging by the suit and jewels on his person, the man seemed important.

"Looks like we have an overconfident kid over here. You honestly think you can survive in this tournament? Look at the competition."

Naruto did so and looked at the assembly of men standing in a holding area. They ranged from swordsmen to brawlers to even robbers that you find on a highway. He even saw some missing-nin in the crowd.

"I don't care. I said I'm winning this tournament. And Uzumaki Naruto doesn't go back on his promises, dattebayo!"

The old man looked at his associate. "Well you heard the kid. Sign him up!"

"B-but sir-"

"Don't make me repeat myself. I'm running the shots around here and if I want this kid to join, he'll join." He and his bodyguards turned around. "Now start the show already! The people want to see some action."

"R-right, sir." The suited man looked at Naruto. "Well kid, the boss gave the approval. So you're in now. Head over to the waiting area over there."

"Gotcha!" He looked at the tall man. "See ya in the ring, ugly!"

"I can't wait to squash you like the bug you are."

* * *

"Thank you for waiting, ladies and gentlemen! The underground tournament has started!" Screams and applause filled the air for a bit before the announcer spoke again. We got the lowest of the low competing here for a chance to walk away with the grand prize of 500, 000 ryo!" The audience awed at the amount of money at stake. "That's right, folks! Someone is walking away set for life! But who will it be from our competitors here at ringside?"

At that, a light shined on all of the men competing. Naruto was among them and decided to wave at the audience when the lights came on him. The audience either booed at him or cheered for him.

"Let's get this show on the road, folks! For our first match, we have these competitors!" At that, the lights shined on the cage. "Our first competitor: you don't want to mess with this beast of a man. Having rumored to take on 50 men at once without taking a scratch on him, ladies and gentlemen, here's Kuroda!"

The audience cheered at the tall man who entered the ring and made a show by swinging his mace around and smashing it on the ground.

"Next up: this kid came to fight. This kid declared himself the winner already. But can he last against the fierce competition? Ladies and gentlemen: Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto stepped into the ring and faced the man from earlier. Deciding to hype up the atmosphere more, he pointed at him. "Ready for that overdue ass kicking?"

"Hmph. I'll make short work outta ya, brat!"

"The fight hasn't even started yet and the combatants are ready for go! Let's get this match started! 3! 2! 1! _**FIGHT!**_"

Not wasting any time, Kuroda charged with a battle cry at Naruto and threw a fist which was avoided before it struck. Not letting up, Kuroda threw more punches that Naruto dodged with amazing speed. Seeing an opening, Naruto channeled chakra into his right hand and struck with a fist to the jaw. From the impact, Kuroda flew across the ring and landed on the opposite side.

"You like that? There's more from where that came from, dattebayo!"

As the audience howled in excitement, Kuroda got up and rubbed his jaw. "Now you've done it, kid." Getting up, the tall man took his mace out and pointed his mace at Naruto. "Prepare to die!" With another battle cry, Kuroda charged at Naruto with his mace raised in both hands.

"Can't get hit by that…" Before his opponent got close, Naruto back flipped away and took out an ink brush and started to paint a seal on his glove.

"Oh no you don't!" Kuroda however didn't grant him that mercy and slammed his mace down on the empty spot that Naruto jumped from. This continued for a while. Kuroda kept trying to hit Naruto with his mace but each time he met nothing but hot air. Worst of all, the kid didn't even try to attack him. He just kept drawing on his hand.

Finally getting tried from swinging his mace, Kuroda stopped and leaned on it. "Is that all you got, brat? Drawing doodles isn't going to help you."

Finishing his work, Naruto put the brush away and ran at Kuroda. Caught off guard, Kuroda brought his mace up and prepared to swing it when Naruto got close.

Everyone watched as Naruto ducked low and opened his right palm as he got close to Kuroda. As he avoided the swing, he brought his palm up and struck the center of the man's chest. Making his mark, Naruto jumped back and watched as the seal quickly disappeared on Kuroda's skin.

"What was that, brat?"

Naruto brought his hand up and made a hand sign. "Kai!"

For a second, nothing happened after the declaration. The audience almost booed at the display until they saw Kuroda sway left and right.

"W-why do I feel sleepy all of a sudden?"

Capitalizing on the chance, Naruto ran forward in a burst of speed and punched Kuroda square in the jaw. The blow made the tall man crash into the steel cage and fall face down into the concrete.

Everyone was shocked. A kid, who looked no younger than 14, took down a full grown man.

The announcer, who had his jaw down after watching the match, got himself together and did his job. "The winner of the first match: **Uzumaki Naruto!"**

Naruto grinned and punched the air. "Yosh! I won! You guys haven't seen nothing yet!" He didn't even notice the small cut on his whiskered face. Then again, due to his 'condition', he never will.

* * *

"I didn't expect that kid to win."

"Doesn't matter. He better pray that we don't end up as his opponents."

"Got that right."

"Be quiet, you two."

The Demon Brothers immediately clammed up when their boss spoke. Standing behind them was a tall man(taller than Kuroda) who had brown hair and face wrappings around his mouth. The first half of his body was bare to the world while his bottom half had grey camouflage pants and sandals. Clad with a hitai-ate that had four lines on it and a huge sword strapped to his back, Momochi Zabuza narrowed his brown eyes at Naruto. "You saw that, Haku?"

The person he talked to hid their face behind a porcelain mask which was framed with two locks of black hair. They wore a pinstriped outfit that went to the knees under a green haori with white trimmings and a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around the waist twice. For footwear, they wore light brown platoon sandals. "Yes, Zabuza-sama. That boy channeled chakra into his strikes."

"Right. That's something a civilian would never learn how to do. Yet he isn't allied with any shinobi village. So where did he learn how to do that? Not to mention that writing that was on the man's chest." Zabuza looked at his protégé. "Pay close attention to him, Haku. Something's off about him."

"Yes."

* * *

**I honestly wasn't intending on updating on this till next week. But hey, life and all that jazz. I don't pressure but feedback would be nice. Thanks to all those who favorited and followed this.**

**Criticism is gold.**


	3. Woah! Looks like Kiri came to play!

Shizune couldn't believe her eyes when she looked at the winner of the first round. Hell, she couldn't believe that her master made her come to this thing in the first place. Sure, Otafuku Gai was a fun place to go to if you were on vacation. But for underground events such as this?

And what was the son of the _Yondaime Hokage doing here_?!

Not wasting any more time, Shizune got up from her table and ran over to the betting booth where she found her master. "Tsunade-sama!"

The woman Shizune addressed wore a green haori with the kanji for 'gamble' on the back over a sleeveless, grey kimono blouse that was cut low leaving her rather large 'assets' visible that had a necklace between them and held by a dark bluish-grey obi that matches the color of her pants. She also wore open toed sandals with feet that had the same polish color that her nails had. "What, Shizune? Can't you see I'm in the middle of cashing in on the fights?"

"It's urgent, Tsunade-sama! I've just seen-"

"Seen who? Someone to bet on? " A smirk crawled on her face. "I knew you would see it my way soon, Shizune. Whose the lucky guy?"

"I'm not betting on anyone! I'm just saying that-"

"Oh. That's a shame." Tsunade turned around and continued to deal at the booth. "Because if my eyes aren't fooling me, I saw Momochi Zabuza among the competitors. That guy is going to wipe the floor with everybody. And then," A bigger smile. "We'll be loaded for life!"

Shizune tried to talk to her again but it was no use since her master was in her 'surefire' betting moods. Sighing and walking back to her table, she decided to seek Naruto out when the fights were done for the night.

* * *

Naruto walked back to the waiting stands with a megawatt smile on his whiskered face and both hands behind his head. If the fights were going to be as easy as his last one, then the prize money already belonged to him. He wasn't as deluded to think that was the case but it helped to boost his morale so he went with it.

During his little ego trip, he failed to notice someone walk right in front of him and paid for it when he fell on the ground after bumping into their leg. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

Looking up at the person responsible, Naruto scowled at the tall form of Momochi Zabuza who looked at him like trash. "What's the big idea?" He brought his head closer to Naruto. "The big idea is some wet behind the ears kid thinking he's going to win this tournament. That's the big idea. I should spare everyone's trouble and end you now."

The young jinchuriki knew that deep down, he was scared. The air around him felt heavy and it almost made him gasp because of the feeling of his throat being grasped in large hands by a dominant predator. But Naruto didn't yield. He refused to. He trained against someone who had the _worst _killing intent of all.

This killing intent was nothing compared to the Kyuubi no Yoko. Inside its cage, Kyuubi smirked at the compliment.

"You can try, you no-eye browed freak! But know this: Uzumaki Naruto ain't scared of nobody! And I kick the ass of anybody who doubts my strength! Including you!"

Zabuza continued to glare at Naruto while subtly increasing his killing intent. But the kid didn't even look scared. He just scowled up at him in a defiant manner.

This punk really didn't know how the real world worked huh?

In a quick movement, Zabuza held Naruto in front of his face and directly stared into sky blue eyes. "We'll see who does the ass kicking around here. I've dealt with your kind before and killed hundreds when I was your age. You'll just be another punk that's added to the list of unfortunate souls that met their end by my hand. So savor your life while you still have it." Having said his piece, Zabuza threw Naruto towards a crowd of people. He didn't turn around to see the mini chaos he started.

* * *

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! The next match!" The announcer waved his hand towards one side of the arena. "In this corner: The man may seem average. The man may look like a run of the mill citizen. But give him brass knuckles and he's a beast like no other! I give you, **Ryuji!**"

A man of average height stepped up onto the platform and made a show of bumping his fists together before putting on his brass knuckles and waving at the crowd who responded in turn.

"And in the other corner: This man is certainly not average. In fact, in his former home, he was revered as one of its most powerful shinobi to walk the earth. So much, that he gained the moniker Kirigakure no Kijin(Demon of the Mist) during his service. Ladies and gentlemen, **Momochi Zabuza!**"

Zabuza stepped into the arena and stared at the announcer. "Let's get this over with already."

"The man is ready for action, folks! So let's get this match started!"

Once the announcer backed away from the ring after calling it, Ryuji put his arms in front of his face while Zabuza stood and glared at his opponent. Both men didn't do anything at first with Ryuji sidestepping around the ring and Zabuza staying put in the same spot. This went on for a bit before Ryuji decided to initiate the first attack and attempt to punch Zabuza.

The man didn't even make it halfway before he even tried to raise his arm. Hell, he couldn't feel half his body slide off when Zabuza sliced it off with a quick motion that barely anybody saw.

* * *

Everyone in the audience stared with wide eyes and open mouths at the brutal finish. One moment, both men didn't look like they were going to fight at all. The next, someone got cleaved in half like a pig in a factory.

Shizune especially took in all of this. Sure, when she was a shinobi back in Konoha, they were worse sights than this when you were assigned the 'nitty-gritty' missions. But this was just straight brutality. Careless regard for life.

And Naruto was fighting in the same competition. If he ended up like that poor man…

"*whistle* That's a rather cruel finish if I haven't seen one." Joining the table, Tsunade sat and looked at Zabuza who put his sword in the strap on his back. "I definitely betted on the right person. Don't you think, Shizune?"

Shizune looked at her master then. "That man is going to kill every competitor in the tournament! Even Naruto!"

Tsunade just blinked upon hearing the name. "Naruto?"

Shizune spoke in a low whisper. "The son of Kushina-sama and Namikaze-sama."

"What?!" Tsunade searched in the crowd until her eyes landed on the blonde haired kid who got up from his ordeal and glared daggers at Zabuza.

'Nawaki?'

* * *

"I'm gonna get that freak back for that. Ouch…" Naruto got up from the ruined table he was thrown at and rubbed his head at the minute headache that came with it.

"Please forgive my master for that. He normally doesn't assault people without reason."

Naruto looked at the masked person and regarded them with a smile. "It was nothing. I'll get him back for that." He made a show by punching his hands in.

"I'm sure you will. My match is coming soon so if you'll excuse me." After a small bow, the masked person walked towards the ring and cleaned the mess Zabuza caused.

"That's odd."

* * *

"Well THAT was certainly something, folks. Anyways, the show must go on. Our next competitors: This man roams the lands to hone his craft in the ways of the sword and hopes to one day enlist in the army. This is **Tanaka!**"

Clad in a white kimono and grey pants, Tanaka drew his katana and held it in front of him.

"Next up: One of them by themselves are dangerous. But when they combine their strengths, they may as well be monsters in human form. Ladies and gentlemen: **The Oni Kyodai(The Demon Brothers)****!**"

Two men walked into the ring and stared at their opponent with cruel gazes. Both brothers wore camouflage gear with one brother wearing a black cloak over it. What distinguished these guys however were the weapons they displayed. Namely, the spiked gauntlets that dripped with a purple like liquid with shuriken chains adorning them.

"What's this? I thought the competition comprised of one-on-one combat."

"Too bad."

"The shinobi world isn't fair. We'll teach you that here and now."

"That's my cue to start the match, folks. Begin!"

The brothers didn't waste any time after the call and charged at the swordsman in a zigzag pattern. Tanaka stood firm and decided to wait until the brothers got close before attacking. That strategy was shot when the siblings separated from each other and circled around Tanaka with the shuriken chain wrapping around his frame. Then, the chain tightened when the brothers jumped back and pulled on it.

Once again, the end result was an unfortunate soul dying in a gory display.

"Hey, announcer. Call the match."

"In fact, call the competition. Kiri has already dominated this tournament."

The announcer himself just gulped and shook his head. "Wish I could, boys. But there are more entrants in this thing."

"Hmph. We'll squash the rest then."

"The prize money is in sight anyway."

"Winners: **The Oni Kyodai!"**

Both brothers didn't waste any more time and got off the stage to meet up with their leader. "How's that, boss?"

"This competition is full of small fry. Had I known that, we would've worked with Gato instead. Well, this was the easier method anyway." Zabuza looked at Haku. "You're next, Haku. Make it swift and easy."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

* * *

"For this match folks, the competitors didn't want any description for their names." The audience booed at that. "Heheh. Looks like they want their actions to speak for itself. So let's introduce **Haku **and **Shinjin!**"

A brown haired man wearing green overalls and palming a dagger entered the ring with the masked person entering on the other side.

"Let's get it started, folks. _START!"_

"Please surrender, Shinjin-san. I do not want to hurt you."

Said man just snarled at Haku. "And miss out on getting the money? You're out of you're mind."

Haku just sighed and threw senbon at Shinjin's neck. The man gasped before he closed his eyes and fell on his back.

"Do not worry, announcer-san. He is simply unconscious. Please call the match."

The announcer blinked twice as the quick finish before responding and declaring Haku the winner.

* * *

"With that last match, the first round of this tournament is over!" The audience loudly responded. "At the beginning, there were 16 competitors in this tournament. Now, these 8 warriors move on to the second round and come ever closer to the grand prize!

"Now it's time for the first match of the second round, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you all are excited because I certainly am!" Cheers sounded through the base. "Now as I said, there are 8 participants left in this tournament. 9 technically but one of them is a team. And speaking of them, the first match of the second round involves these particular entrants. The first of the Kiri participants for the second round: **The Oni Kyodai!"**

Meizu and Gozu came into the ring and clapped their respective gauntlets against the other which made noise throughout the arena.

"And their opponent. This kid proved that he could step up to the plate and mess with the big guys. He's got an attitude and a bone to pick with the rest: **Uzumaki Naruto!"**

Instead of getting a mixed response like the first time, Naruto walked into the arena waving his hands and getting positive feedback.

"Hope you enjoyed your last minutes breathing, kid."

"You'll be another stepping stone towards the gold."

Naruto pointed at the two brothers with a fierce smirk on his face. "I've seen your last fight. You guys need the handicap to stand a chance against me!"

The announcer shook his head at Naruto's banter. He was at least glad that the kid was innocent regardless of how the competition played out. "Let's get this under way, folks. _START!"_

Just like before, the Demon Brothers charged in a zigzag pattern towards Naruto who palmed kunai in both hands. When they got close, Naruto dodged the first claw strike and parried the second one just as quick. Not forgetting the other brother, Naruto threw his other kunai towards Meizu who knocked it out of the way and jumped at Naruto. Just as Gozu was about to unleash his poison chain, Naruto back flipped out the way and avoided it and Gozu's chain.

"Kai!"

Once Naruto was a fair distance from the kunai, he activated the explosive seal on it and watched as the Demon Brother's location was wrapped in smoke.

'Did that get them?'

His thoughts were answered with the shuriken chain coming out of the smoke and straight at him. Naruto jumped out of the way but saw both brothers appear before him in a burst of speed. He managed to dodge both of the gauntlets but got kicked by both brothers. Meizu and Gozu immediately chased after Naruto to try and sink their weapons into his flesh but the jinchuriki caught his balance and threw a smoke bomb on the ground. When the brothers went through the smoke, they didn't make contact with Naruto.

In fact, he disappeared from everyone's vision.

"Where is that kid?"

"Did he run away?"

* * *

"I can't believe that kid is actually giving the Demon Brothers a run for their money."

Haku looked at her master from behind her mask then back to the field. "It seems that way, Zabuza-sama."

"Those two aren't the greatest. Yet they can get the job done solely on their teamwork. But that kid…" Zabuza narrowed his eyes. That kid wasn't average.

* * *

"Do you see that, Tsunade-sama? That boy is handling those two shinobi like it's no problem."

Tsunade kept her eyes on the field as she awaited Naruto's return. "I'll admit the kid has tricks up his sleeves. But he isn't one to write home about. That Zabuza guy will destroy him. Provided he beats those two."

After seeing that her master said her piece, Shizune stared at the arena and wished that Naruto made it out alive.

* * *

'This smoke will go away in 2 minutes. That should be enough time to think of something to beat those guys.' When Naruto threw down the smoke, he didn't actually 'leave' it so much as crouch on his knees and put a chakra suppression seal on his arm. This made it so his chakra signature would be undetected by the casual shinobi and the more experienced sensor type. But as soon as he leaves the smoke, there wouldn't be a need to feel for his presence since he would give away his position anyway.

'Their combination attacks are pretty solid. I'm confident that I can take them down one by one. But how to separate them without getting hit by the chain…' Naruto checked his item supply and pulled out two more kunai. 'Maybe…yeah. That'll work.' Naruto stood up with his game plan mind. 'Kyu, there's a chance I might get poisoned. You'll take care of it when it happens right?'

'That's reckless thinking, Naruto. Not all wounds can be healed, you know.'

'Don't get philosophical on me now. It just a precaution.'

'….you must've picked up a dictionary when I wasn't looking. These are words I don't expect you to say.'

Resisting the urge to sigh at the jibe, Naruto just peeled the suppression tag off of his arm and jumped out of the smoke. Once he had the attention of the brothers, Naruto threw a kunai in their direction and watched as his opponents dodged it and chase after him.

Bringing up a kunai in front of his eyes, Naruto waited until the brothers got close before going into action. He parried a claw strike with his right hand and ducked under the follow up strike by Gozu. Then, he rolled to the left of Gozu and went behind him to attempt to stab him but failed when Meizu struck forward with a claw strike. He managed to bring his glove up to block it but got pushed back by the force. During this, Naruto threw the other kunai in his hand and purposely aimed for the other side of the cage.

"Your aim sucks, kid!"

"Then try moving then!"

Both brothers did try to move…and found that they couldn't.

"What the?"

"We're struck, big brother!"

"Fooled you guys big time!" Both Demon Brothers looked at Naruto. "Those two kunai weren't meant to hit you. No," He pointed at the floor in front of him. "That was the real aim."

* * *

"Ninja wire?!"

"The kid is clever." Haku looked at her master for an explanation. "He played on the fact that the Demon Brothers heavily rely on combination attacks. Meaning, if one brother attacked you, the other isn't far behind." He looked at the ninja wire that was barely visible between the two kunai. "The kid aimed the two kunai on two opposite sides at a fair distance with the intent of trapping the two at the center. And considering how durable ninja wire is…"

Haku looked at the blonde who wore a dominant smirk on his face. "He is smarter than he appears…"

* * *

"Let us go, you brat!"

"Not gonna happen!" Naruto made a seal with his hands. "Time to finish it. Kai!" The seals on the two kunai glowed for a second then sparked with electricity. Because of the ninja wire, it channeled all the way to the brothers from both sides and shocked both of them. The audience was in awe at seeing a kid somehow managing to electrocute two men and leave them in a crispy mess.

The announcer walked up to the brothers and saw that they were unconscious. "Well folks, with a shocking finish, victory goes to **Uzumaki Naruto!**"

* * *

**I'm very sorry if this chapter is low quality to you guys. That will be the last time I set deadlines for my stories. **

**Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Criticism is gold.**


	4. Semifinals: Naruto vs Zabuza!

**Review Responses:**

**bankai777: You're very curious about Sarutobi's actions. Trust me, you'll see what happens later down the line.**

**TheRazgrizDragon: Heh. Soup. Good analogy. I hope my story keeps you entertained. Sadly, my word length is 2,000 to 4,000 words. I can't see myself write more than that.**

**Thanks to anyone else who favorited/followed/reviewed my story. **

* * *

"With this, ladies and gentlemen, the first half of this tournament is now complete!" The announcer paused due to the loud response of the crowd. Nodding to the success of this event, he continued on. "These four individuals each showed their merit and fighting ability that dominated the rest of the competition. These individuals are:" The lights shined on each of the four people standing in the arena.

"**Momochi Zabuza!" **Said man just glared at everyone even though the crowd cheered for him. Guess slicing a man in half didn't scare these people enough. And they call him a demon.

"**Haku!" **Since the mask didn't give any facial response, Haku just stood up straight next to her master and waited.

"**Waraji!" **This man was of an average height with tan skin and brown eyes. He wore a durable vest over a long sleeve shirt and mesh armor with black shinobi pants and sandals. With his arms crossed, he just stared forward and waited for the announcer to finish.

"And last but not least, **Uzumaki Naruto!" **Said blond waved at the crowd with both arms and a megawatt smile on his face. His clothes and appearance might be ruffled a bit, but his spirit wasn't in the slightest.

"These four will compete in the final two rounds of the competition tomorrow. Same place, same time! Until then, take care and good night!"

* * *

As soon as he stepped out of the underground bar, Naruto stretched his arms out and took in the late night air. "Ahhh! Nothing like breathing in fresh air and knowing your kicking ass!"

'Yes. Such is the life of a human who has no brains at all.' Pause. 'Oh wait. That includes each and every one of you.'

'Bite me, Kyuubi.'

'Come in the cage and I'll gladly do so.'

Before Naruto could retort to that statement, he noticed someone looking at him. Said someone was a fair skinned woman who had black eyes and hair that was shoulder length with bangs that covered her eyes and framed her face. She wore a bluish-black kimono with white trimmings held by a white obi and open-toed low heeled sandals. "Can I help you?"

'He looks so much like his father'. No mistaking it. Blond hair that rivaled the sun, well sculptured face, and blue eyes that sent tingles up the spine when they stared at you. The whiskers was new but it just added to the-

"Hello? Anyone in there?"

The woman shook her head and fought down her blush. "I'm sorry for staring at you. It's just, I never expected someone as young as you to make it far in the tournament. Not to mention having a skill in Fuinjutsu to perform those tricks."

Naruto beamed at the praise. "Thank you! I told everyone from the start that I would keep my word and win the tournament. I won't back down from it!"

Shizune smiled. "That's nice to hear. But isn't your caretaker going to be worried about you getting involved in such a dangerous game?"

Naruto scrunched his face in confusion. "What caretaker?"

_What?_

"No one takes of care of me. In fact, I can take care of myself."

"Really now?" That eliminated the possibility of someone kidnapping Naruto from childbirth. "Well, just in case, you should head home so your landlord won't gripe at you for being out past curfew."

"Landlord? Why are you assuming that I have someone taking care of me?" Naruto narrowed his blue eyes. "What's with these questions anyway?"

Shizune widened her eyes and shook her hands in a frantic manner. "I-I didn't mean to offend you in any way whatsoever. It's just, when I was younger, someone as young as you would always have a guardian of some sort."

Naruto looked at the woman for a while longer before turning on his heels. "Well, the world can surprise you lady." With that, Naruto started to walk away from Shizune.

'What does he mean by that?' "H-hey, wait!" She managed to get Naruto to turn around. "If you have nowhere to stay, I can invite you to stay at the hotel where I'm lodging now." Wait. That sounded wrong.

Naruto looked at her with a raised eyebrow before turning around and placing his hands behind his head. "No thanks. I can manage. But it would be nice if you would come tomorrow and watch me win the whole tournament." He grinned at her from over his shoulder. "After all, knowing that I have someone like you supporting me, I definitely win." With that, Naruto disappeared into the night.

Shizune just stared at his back as he walked away. If no one kidnapped him or raised him, then how did he survive out of Konoha? How did he even get _out _of Konoha in the first place?

"There you are, Shizune. You left too quickly, you know."

Shizune looked behind her and saw her master walking up to her with a suitcase and a winning grin on her face. "Is that?"

"My winnings. Tomorrow, I'm going to bet all of his again and get the grand jackpot!"

"G-g-grand jackpot?! Tsunade-sama, shouldn't we hold on to this money instead of getting rid of it so suddenly?"

"I told you there is nothing to worry about, Shizune. Zabuza will wipe the floor with everybody and we'll be rich before you know it."

"B-but Tsunade-sam-"

"Now come on. I want to get some rest before the big day tomorrow."

Shizune looked back in the direction she last saw Naruto before catching up with her master.

* * *

"That's how much Zabuza's bounty is, boss."

The short, old man grinned at the Bingo Book in front of him. It was such an easy plan to lure Zabuza from Nami no Kuni. That fool Gato thought he was going somewhere by having such an employ on his side. His biggest problem was seeing just how valuable something was when it was right in front of him.

This tournament was also a genius idea. What better idea than to lure any great missing ninja over here with the promise of winning a large amount of money? He could already picture the ryo he would be counting once he had everyone heads.

Yes. Money ruled this world. And if you didn't absorb that concept, you might as well be stupid.

* * *

In a forest clearing, not far from Otafuku Gai, Naruto performed his katas at a fast pace. Left jab, right jab, left jab, right jab, roundhouse, repeat. It may have been late at night but Naruto didn't feel tried at all. Well, somewhat but he still had energy to spare. He wanted to perfect his style down to the number.

Zabuza wasn't going to be an easy opponent. Neither was that mask guy.

Zabuza himself, if he had to rank him in terms of strength, was Jonin level. That meant he was one of the best and a master at his craft. That guy probably has been in so many battles that nothing surprised him anymore. Or at least fought against all kinds of opponents. Not to mention the sword or cleaver he carries around.

He shuddered a bit at remembering the gruesome finish. He was going to make sure his torso stayed on his body, thank you.

When it came to that masked person…it was a blank. From what he saw, they made quick finishes with precise senbon strikes. Naruto could say that they were fast but the masked person didn't move much. The opponents were easy so that could be why. But still…

Ah well. Right now, Naruto can at least try and prepare for Zabuza.

'And how will you _prepare _for this?'

….good question actually.

That question actually made Naruto stop his kata exercise and lay back on the ground. He didn't the mind the blades of grass underneath him and left his orange shirt folded in a scroll.

'I guess I can make a new seal or something. Fuinjutsu is endless, you know.'

'I won't refute that. But by now, Zabuza will expect you to use seals and he will be aware. From what I can tell, that man won't make the mistake to overlook that in battle.'

Naruto looked at the shining moon above in the dark sky. It was a beautiful night out and he felt the weariness of the battles he fought in. The crickets chirped and the wind rustled the trees that gave a sound that entered the eardrums like a soft lullaby.

Hearing it, Naruto didn't fight against the urge to close his eyes.

* * *

Now in his mindscape due to being asleep in the real world, Naruto didn't waste any time and brushed strokes on a piece of paper.

Kyuubi chose that time to present itself clad in her blue clothing and female demeanor. She stared down at Naruto. "You know, you didn't answer my question. Saying you make new seals is a very vague statement."

"Really? I figured you would be at ease knowing that I'll have some seals ready by the time I'll face that guy."

"Just having 'seals' ready isn't enough." She narrowed her eyes at the blond. "That man isn't an average shinobi. He WILL kill you once the opportunity arises. And I will not have my existence threatened because my host was incompetent."

"You worry too much, Kyu-chan. I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I will beat Zabuza."

Kyuubi summoned some of her chakra and almost struck Naruto with a chakra tail…but decided against it. It would be a waste of time. But she swore that personality of his will get him killed.

It reminded her of Kushina. And knowing that…

Without saying another word, Kyuubi calmed down and returned to her cage with Naruto staring at her slowly disappearing form. Sighing, Naruto drew more strokes and prepared more seals for his arsenal.

He would need his more creative seals for this fight.

* * *

It was such a beautiful morning. The birds chirped in delight, the flowers showed their color in the light, and the sun gave a warm temperature to bath the body in.

Haku loved to stroll in forests and enjoy the early morning tranquility for what it was. Be it picking herbs for her master or just taking a walk to take her mind off things, she cherished every minute of it. In a strange way, it reminded her of the good days when her mother was still alive and her secret was safe from everyone else.

Walking into a clearing, Haku immediately noticed someone lying in the center. Looking closer, she saw a familiar shade of yellow hair and orange colored clothing. 'Is that?'

It was. With his eyes closed and head lolling to the side, Naruto slept soundly and ignored the sun's rays shining on his tan face.

'He's actually pretty cute.' Haku actually blushed when she noticed that Naruto didn't wear his orange shirt from before. That pretty much meant that she gazed at the outline of a six-pack and the minute amounts of sweat on his torso.

Forcing herself to push down her feminine desires, Haku came at a crossroads. As she looked a Naruto's sleeping face, she conjured up two decisions that she could make. The first would obviously be to wake him up and fish for information. More specifically, his prowess in Fuinjutsu and other info. The former mostly because from what Zabuza-sama says, Fuinjutsu was the most difficult art a shinobi could learn.

The second option…would be to kill him here.

The positive to doing that? It would be that much easier to get the prize money and the goal to rebel against the Yondaime Mizukage would be closer than ever. Zabuza-sama would definitely appreciate that.

Yet…did this boy deserve such a fate?

'…mmm…that ramen looks tasty…'

Haku stared…and smiled. He wasn't worth it. Deciding to wake Naruto up before he caught a cold, she brought her hand to his shoulder and gently shook it. "Hey. Wake up…"

* * *

"Hey. Wake up…"

The voice was like a soft whisper to the ear. It was a voice he never recognized before. It sounded…angelic.

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here like this…"

That so? Not Uzumaki Naruto.

It didn't take long for blue eyes to open and stare into dark brown eyes. Again, because of the sun shining in the sky and the background that surrounded them, their features were highlighted in a way that can be described in many different words. The select words that ran through her heads were:

'Majestic...'

'Handsome…'

For at least five minutes, the young teens gazed into the other's eyes with light blushes on their faces. They memorized each detail on their faces and ignored everything else.

The silence was broken by Haku who coughed into her hand and averted her gaze. "Well…this is awkward…"

Naruto followed by siting up and rubbing the back of his head. "I've been in worse situations." If he looked into the future, that very statement would be understated.

"Is that so?" Bringing her blush back down, Haku looked at Naruto again. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you sleeping out here?"

Naruto blinked then looked up into the sky. "Guess I was so tried from training yesterday that I just laid back and let nature work its course."

"Really now? And what were you training for?"

Naruto hummed for a moment before answering her. "Well, I'm training to further cement a style I'm been working on for a while now." He turned to her with a smile. "When it's finished, everyone will know how awesome I am."

Haku smiled back. "It sounds like something you take a lot of pride in."

Naruto nodded. "It is."

Haku wanted to ask him about his Fuinjutsu but…it seemed wrong. The mood right now was pleasant and she didn't want to ruin it by pressing for secrets. Instead, she looked at the forest while asking him a question. "Tell me. Why do you train? Why do you fight?"

"Hmm?"

"Maybe I should be more specific." She observed a bird bringing a worm to their nest and feeding it to their hatchlings. Smiling, she looked at Naruto. "I believe that a person becomes truly strong when they have someone precious they want to protect. That's why I asked you those questions."

"Protecting someone precious…"

"Yes. That special someone that you're willing to do anything for. Whether it is to see their goal become reality or to see their smile, you protect them with all of your strength."

"I see…"

"Do you have someone precious to protect?"

Naruto looked at Haku before staring into the sky again. Back in Konoha, he had plenty of precious people he wanted to protect.

Iruka-sensei.

The Ichiraku family.

Even old man Hokage.

Now….he couldn't say. Kyuubi maybe but it was a given that he would protect it because it would die when he died.

"I…don't have anyone precious to protect right now. Maybe one day, but not now." He looked at Haku. "Sorry."

Haku stared at Naruto with an unreadable expression. Just when Naruto thought he pissed her off, she stood up and brushed her pink kimono. "Don't worry about it. You're still young. One day, you will understand." With that, Haku walked into the forest.

Naruto stared at the mysterious girl before he realized he forgot to ask for her name. Cursing at the mistake, he stood up and performed his katas.

* * *

Naruto absently chewed on a meat bun as he took in the sights of Otafuku Gai again. He felt that he was ready to take on Zabuza or anyone else that would be pitted against him. His taijutsu style was getting better and the seals he prepared guaranteed him success. Yup, he was good to go.

"So you're the brat getting involved in that tournament?"

Naruto spun around and saw a blonde staring at him with an unreadable expression. He forced himself to not stare at the sizable assets. "So what if I am?"

"Here's some advice. Drop out of the competition if you know what's good for you. Zabuza will kill you in two seconds."

Naruto immediately scowled. Not only at the insult but the way she said it. Like it was the absolute truth. "Screw you, lady. I'll beat Zabuza and win the whole tournament!"

Tsunade let a humorless chuckle escape her lips. "Please, kid. I don't know if you realized but the majority of adults watching the tournament will bet on Zabuza to win the whole thing. Me included. I'm just telling you to make it easy on yourself and drop out."

Naruto pointed at her with a determined look on his face. He didn't even notice the people staring at him. "Well you made the wrong choice! In fact," Blue eyes squinted at her chest then returned to normal. "I'll bet you that necklace on your chest that I'll beat Zabuza and prove you wrong, lady!"

Tsunade widened her eyes for a moment. He almost sounded like Nawaki and Dan.

She quickly shook her head and walked away. "I'll humor you. Just for the satisfaction I'll get when my point will come across."

Naruto stared at her and walked away. There was a seal or two he wanted to make.

* * *

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! This is what you've all been waiting for. It's time for the semifinals of our exclusive tournament to begin!" The response, as expected, was loud with the spectators shouting either Zabuza's name or Naruto's. Mostly with the former. "Now with the first match that I'm sure everyone's been wanting to see. The first match: **Momochi Zabuza vs. Uzumaki Naruto!"**

Zabuza stepped into the arena with the cage door locked behind him. He came to a stop in the middle where he met Naruto and looked down on him. Blue eyes resolutely stared back at him. Said owner of blue eyes also clenched and unclenched his fists in an anticipating manner.

"Ready to meet the end of my blade, kid?"

"So long as you're ready to meet my fist to your eyebrow-less face!"

Zabuza spiked his killing intent in response but Naruto once again shrugged it off and jumped back.

* * *

Shizune felt like biting her nails among other things. Could you blame her? After all, she did not want to be the one to go back to her home in Konoha and tell the Hokage that Naruto. She wanted to believe that Naruto wouldn't die in this match but against a high level Jonin…

Shizune stole a glance at her master…and noticed she was staring intently at the arena. More specifically Naruto.

"Tsunade-sama?"

'_I'll bet you that necklace on your chest that I'll beat Zabuza and prove you wrong, lady!'_

Tsunade narrowed her honey brown eyes. 'Prove me wrong, huh?' She brought her right hand to her necklace and clutched it.

* * *

'Naruto...' It ached Haku's heart to see Naruto end up fighting her master. After getting to know the blond in the short see met him this morning, it was sad to know that Naruto might possibly die in this match. But it would have to be another unfortunate sacrifice to their ultimate goal.

Knowing this, Haku forced herself to harden her heart and watch this match. Just like Zabuza-sama wanted her to do.

* * *

"On my count. **1. 2. 3…BEGIN!"**

Naruto didn't waste any time and threw two shuriken at Zabuza who responded by slashing them in mid-air. Then crouching low, Zabuza ran forward and kept Naruto in his line of sight.

Said blonde threw a smoke bomb at Zabuza who sidestepped and swung his blade. Naruto quickly jumped over Zabuza's head and threw more shuriken at him. Knocking the metal stars away with a backhand, Zabuza stared at Naruto. "Such pitiful attacks won't work on me, brat."

"Then come get some."

Zabuza ran towards Naruto….who didn't move at all. In fact, he brought his left hand towards his mouth while his right was extended.

Curious but unrelenting, Zabuza came close and attempted a downward slice…and somehow got Kubikiribocho knocked out of his hands.

"What the-" He also gasped when he felt something strike his guts. Zabuza looked down and saw a glowing fist. He didn't observe it for much longer because he was sent flying across the arena with the same fist.

Naruto looked at his glowing hand and clenched it. 'My Dragon Strike move worked like it intended to. Alright…' He looked at Zabuza again who got up and stared Naruto with sword in hand again.

"You're going to pay for that." He made a seal. "Kirigakure no Jutsu(Hidden Mist Justu)!"

Before Naruto's eyes, his vision was clouded with fog that brought down his visibility. "What is this?"

"Now you're truly going to know why I'm called the Kirigakure no Kijin(Demon of the Hidden Mist)."

Naruto quickly took out a sealing tag and slapped it on the ground. The markings from the seal spread on the ground and took on a shape.

Before Naruto could see it, he saw something behind him.

Liquid flew high into the air.

* * *

**Two things. One, this better be the year Kishi ends this manga. Seriously...**

**Second, I hope you all like this chapter. I somewhat do.**

**Criticism is gold.**


	5. Semifinals: Naruto vs Zabuza! Part 2

_Last time…_

"_Now you're truly going to know why I'm called the __Kirigakure no Kijin(Demon of the Hidden Mist).__"_

_Naruto quickly took out a sealing tag and slapped it on the ground. The markings from the seal spread on the ground and took on a shape._

_Before Naruto could see it, he saw something behind him. _

_Liquid flew high into the air. _

* * *

Zabuza watched as blood flew in the air from his attack on Naruto. This was the sight he saw hundreds of times. Confuse his prey with the hidden mist and strike at the opportune moment when they showed helplessness. It got the job done and this time was no different.

So why did it feel like it _was _different?

Narrowing his eyes, Zabuza took a closer look at the body laid before his feet. It was bleeding like normal when cut open by Kubikiribocho….bleeding black colored blood.

"Wha-" Looking to his right, Zabuza saw kunai headed toward him so he instantly moved out of the way and disappeared into the thick mist again.

"Damn it." Naruto reeled in the ninja wire on his kunai and palmed then again. He was fortunate that his Fuin Bushin(Sealing Clone) actually worked. It was one of the few projects that he worked on over the years. The idea was to offer some chakra into a sealing tag and sort of…give it an image of him per say. It certainly was harder than performing the Dragon Strike.

That move required some concentration. Channeling most of his chakra into one fist was easy. Making it harden to the point where it felt like rock wasn't. Granted, he had a seal to help him with that one but the Dragon Strike move wasn't complete until he could naturally harden it on his own.

Hearing a chucking noise vibrate through the thick mist, Naruto brought his hands closer to his body and combed his surroundings.

"I bet you're wondering why I'm taking my time. It's hard to choose with vital point to strike. The liver, lungs, spine, subclavian artery, jugular, kidneys and the heart. So many choices…"

Naruto didn't rise to that bait and continued to look for Zabuza. His grip on the kunai clenched further as the feeling of helplessness tried to crawl on his skin. Saliva was swallowed in his throat as he tried to resist.

He jerked his head to the right as he heard a noise…false alarm.

He checked his left side. No one.

Quick look over the shoulder. Empty. This suspense was-

Zabuza appeared with his sword raised and telegraphed a downward strike that would cleave him in two. Naruto rolled out of the way beforehand and threw a kunai which was blocked by the sword. Zabuza then swung his blade in a wide arc that forced Naruto to jump over it. While in the air, Naruto threw his second kunai and watched as it struck Zabuza's skull. Once he landed on the ground, however, he saw 'Zabuza' turn into a puddle.

'What? That was a clone?' Naruto couldn't ponder it further because he heard a footstep behind him and rolled to the side on reflex. Kunai was pulled to its owner just in time to parry blows from Kubikiribocho. While Naruto was able to stop the blade from slicing him in half, the sheer strength from the blows shook his arms and almost caused him to lose his grip on the kunai. Speaking of the kunai, they weren't going to hold Zabuza off for much longer.

Deciding to try and get some distance from Zabuza, Naruto avoided the next strike and jumped away from Zabuza while throwing both kunai at him. Before Zabuza attempted to block the kunai, Naruto activated the hidden seals on them and watched as they blew up.

"Did that get him?" His question was answered when his mouth opened in a silent scream when he felt something cut through his right arm. Before he let the sword cut his whole arm off, Naruto threw a smoke bomb on the ground and jumped to the other side of the arena.

'Damnit!' Because he wasn't aware enough, Naruto's right arm was bleeding from the huge cut near his shoulder. 'Kyuu!'

'That was your own fault. I told you to remain cautious.' Despite the response, the cut was in the process of healing itself.

'I won't let that happen again.' Easier said than done. As long as Zabuza's exact location remained a mystery due to the mist, progress couldn't be made.

"Heheheh….in this mist, you are the true definition of the hunted."

Naruto palmed a kunai and resumed waiting.

"And I'm the true definition of the hunter. In short"

Naruto turned around and saw Zabuza poised to strike again.

"You're nothing but trash before me!"

With all the strength he had in his right arm, Naruto blocked the next strike. Because of the loss of his other arm, Naruto kneeled on the ground and was pushed back to prevent the strike from connecting.

"Hmph. You look so weak…" Zabuza stared at his foe that gritted his teeth and continued to defiantly stare at him. Snorting, Zabuza disarmed Naruto in one flourish and followed up by kicking him directly in the chest. The impact from the kick made Naruto skid harshly across the stage until he came to a stop and clutch his injured arm in pain.

Not a second too soon, a loud scream escaped his lips when Zabuza stomped on his arm.

* * *

"It looks like some intense action is going on in the mist, ladies and gentlemen. We can only hope it goes away quick so we can see for ourselves how our competitors are faring."

Shizune almost jumped out of her seat to get into the ring and rescue Naruto. She was already jittery and worried when the famed Kirigakure no jutsu was executed.

But hearing that bloodcurdling scream…

"Stay put, Shizune."

Shizune instantly looked at her master with an incredulous look on her face. "Tsunade-sama! You can't expect me to stay here while Naruto gets himself killed. And I'm appalled that YOU of all people would bat an eye to a child's death just because of a bet!"

Tsunade didn't respond at first because of her eyes trying to focus on the mist. A few seconds later, she did speak. "No matter how headstrong or stupid that kid is, he knew what he was getting in to."

'_I'll bet you that necklace on your chest that I'll beat Zabuza and prove you wrong, lady!'_

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "He'll see for himself how harsh the real world is." Despite saying that, her hand rose to the necklace that rested on her chest.

* * *

"Kirigakure no Jutsu. I've seen this jutsu before but never this effectively. That kid is as good as dead."

Haku couldn't decide whether or not to agree with her soon to be opponent. If it was anyone else, she would silently agree. Yet she would still feel sorry for them.

'You're too soft, Haku.'

She couldn't help it. If she had the choice to either kill someone or let them live, she would chose to let them live in a heartbeat. Even if that person had killed more times than her master, even if that person committed acts that would never be forgiven…

She would never slay the light that kept them living.

Behind her porcelain mask, Haku laid her dark brown eyes on the mist. And waited in anticipation.

* * *

Naruto's head bounced on the hard ground after being thrown by Zabuza. He may have felt a bit light-headed. He may have felt drained and heavily injured because of his arm. Hell, he almost felt tired.

But he would be damned if he lost here. He made a promise to a lot of people that he was going to beat Zabuza and win this tournament. Admitting defeat would go against. Besides, his plan was already in motion…

A gasp escaped his lips when a hand grabbed a fistful of his blonde hair and was brought upwards towards Zabuza's eye level.

"Ready to say your prayers, kid?"

Just to distract him a bit longer, Naruto gathered some blood in his mouth and spitted it directly in Zabuza's face.

That was the wrong thing to do. The look on Zabuza's face, however, was worth it. But he was shoved to the ground again in retaliation.

"Die!"

'Now!' Naruto raised his uninjured arm and formed a seal which made Zabuza's sword glow for a moment. Then t abruptly fell out of his hands and stuck to the ground with unknown pressure holding it down.

"What the?" Taken off guard, Zabuza tried to take his sword off the ground but failed no matter how hard he tried. For someone, Kubikiribocho didn't budge and stayed in place. "What did you do?!"

Naruto chuckled as he shakily stood on his feet again. "You rely on that sword too much, don't ya? I figured I'd help ya in that regard. I hear the heavier the sword, the bigger the damage. And you carry that thing around like its nothing. A gravity seal should be nothing for you, Kiri oni-chan~"

Narrowing his eyes and inwardly cursing at the loss, Zabuza rose and ran towards Naruto while ducking low.

Readying himself, Naruto gathered chakra in his left arm and reached for something in his back pocket. Once Zabuza got close, Naruto threw a tag to the ground in front of him and jumped back.

Seeing a glow on the tag, Zabuza jumped back and watched as it…didn't blow up.

'A dud?' Looking up, Zabuza saw another sealing tag land in front of him. That one turned out to be a dud as well. 'What's this kid's deal?' He wasn't quick enough to avoid a tag latching on his chest. Quickly ripping that off and crushing it in his fist, Zabuza scanned his surroundings. He was starting to feel the strain on his chakra for holding up the jutsu for this long. It almost made him angry.

The regular shinobi wouldn't have lasted long in his territory. How this one kid managed to stay alive for this long. Part of him will admit that he toyed with the brat but he didn't realize he would pay for it like this.

Turning his head, he saw another tag headed towards him. Growling, Zabuza raised his arm to swipe it out of the air…but saw the tag glow and expand…

'Oh shi-;'

* * *

Shizune rose from her seat when she saw the explosion in the center of the stage. 'Naruto!' Along with her, the audience gasped in surprise and waited in baited breath for the two opponents to show themselves. Thankfully, the mist started to clear so by the second, the arena became more visible. From what most saw, blood and debris were scattered/painted in different places.

But what stole everyone's attention was the two males that shakily stood. And Shizune in particular forced herself not to get in there. If only because of her master.

Naruto clutched his bleeding arm while heavily breathing and staring at his opponent with one blue eye open. Zabuza stood near his still gravity stricken sword with the wrappings on the right side of his face removed. Sharp teeth was shown with blood leaking form the side with other areas of the body showing signs of the battle.

"The mist has been lifted at last, ladies and gentlemen! And by god, these warriors certainly fought to the death inside it! Both of them look like they're on their last legs and one major move will decide it all!"

'Zabuza-sama!' Haku was shocked. Not only was Naruto still standing after the mist dissipated, albeit barely, her master actually looked worse for wear. This was rare. Was Naruto that strong?

* * *

'Damn this kid!' Zabuza tried to pick up his sword again but the seal kept it on the ground. And he was nearly out of chakra because of the mist and using the Mizu Bushins(Water Clones).

'Just a bit longer…' Sheer will kept Naruto on his feet. He almost fell to one knee just to get some sort of leverage but forced his lower body to stay rooted. His clothes were ripped and his vision started to get blurry.

At that moment, both Naruto and Zabuza looked straight into the other eyes.

'I won't lose!'

Jumping away from his sword, Zabuza started a sequence of seals and molded his remaining chakra. Meanwhile, Naruto clenched his fist and expelled his chakra all around it.

The first one to finish was Zabuza. "Time to end this! Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!(Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!)" All the water from around Zabuza gathered around him and formed a serpent that roared at Naruto before charging straight at him.

Showing no fear, Naruto ran towards while raising his now glowing arm. Once both entities collided, smoke engulfed the center of the arena again.

'That should finish him.' While the smoke remained, Zabuza walked towards his sword again and was glad to finally pick it up again. Hefting it over his shoulder, Zabuza looked at Naruto's last position. 'You may have fought well, but in the end you were no match for me.'

Before he knew it, a blur shot out of the smoke and revealed itself to be Naruto. "Wha-"

"Dragon Strike!" Naruto directly punched Zabuza in the face with his glowing fist and watched as it caused Zabuza to fly to the other side of the arena and crash into the cage.

Kubikiribocho fell to the ground after being knocked away. At the same time, Zabuza slid to the ground and didn't respond.

Naruto stared as the announcer ran towards Zabuza's position.

5 seconds later. "I-I can't believe it! Momochi Zabuza is unconscious, folks!" He waved his hand to Naruto. "The winner of this battle, this war, is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto didn't hear the crowd response when he fell towards the floor. He didn't even hear the clack of heels when his vision was filled with black.

* * *

**I apologize, guys. Laziness is the main reason why I didn't post anything in the past couple of weeks. Trust me, when you don't feel like writing, you DON'T feel like writing. ****Anyways, that wraps up the Naruto vs Zabuza fight. My fights will get better in the future but I figured it was good enough.**

**Criticism is gold.**


	6. Hyoton no Haku

_Last time…._

"_Dragon Strike!" Naruto directly punched Zabuza in the face with his glowing fist and watched as it caused Zabuza to fly to the other side of the arena and crash into the cage._

_Kubikiribocho fell to the ground after being knocked away. At the same time, Zabuza slid to the ground and didn't respond._

_Naruto stared as the announcer ran towards Zabuza's position._

_5 seconds later. "I-I can't believe it! Momochi Zabuza is unconscious, folks!" He waved his hand to Naruto. "The winner of this battle, this war, is Uzumaki Naruto!"_

_Naruto didn't hear the crowd response when he fell towards the floor. He didn't even hear the clack of heels when his vision was filled with black._

* * *

As soon as Shizune heard the announcer call the match and Naruto fall t0o the ground unresponsive, she Shunshin'd(Body Flicker) to the arena and immediately went to the blond's aid.

Likewise for Haku, as soon as she saw Zabuza out cold, despair clutched on to her conscious.

After all, aside from the time he failed to take down the Yondaime Mizukage, Zabuza-sama never lost a battle. Especially to someone who couldn't have been more skilled than a chunin.

Putting that at the back of her head, Haku immediately went to Zabuza and checked his pulse. The despair went away when she still felt a rhythmic beat in the neck region. A bit faint, but still there. Bringing his arm over her shoulder, Haku went to the announcer who stared at her. "Announcer-san, I know my match is in a little while. But can you please give me some time to make sure my master is still ok?"

"O-of course. Do you uh…need any help there?"

"No thank you. When shall the match begin?"

The announcer looked at his watch then at a hidden doorway in the nightclub where he saw his boss give him a pointed look before closing the door. Gulping, he looked at Haku. "30 minutes. Is that ok?"

"Perfect. Thank you again." With another nod, Haku disappeared with another Shunshin.

* * *

Back in her hotel room, Shizune laid Naruto on her bed and used her Shosen Jutsu(Mystical Palm Technique) to examine Naruto's arm and body.

"He doesn't need to be babied like that, Shizune."

"Why not?"

"Look at him." Following her eyesight, Shizune watched as the scarred skin around Naruto's shoulder repaired itself at a moderate pace. "The Kyuubi's chakra inside of him grants healing capabilities that far surpasses yours. Even mine."

Indeed. The ugly scar that scared her before was barely visible before her eyes now. Still…"That doesn't mean a professional touch isn't necessary." Focusing her chakra on his abdomen for a few minutes then his arm again for good measure, Shizune stopped her check up on Naruto and got up from her position. "I'm going to get some bandages for that arm." Nodding to herself, Shizune walked out of the room.

Tsunade herself stared at her fellow blonde who was snoring the night away. Like nothing was wrong. Like he didn't just fight a match that could've got himself killed.

Kids. They didn't know how cruel the world they lived in was. Didn't know how much you can lose in so little time.

'Nawaki…Dan…'

Both of them wanted to become Hokage. She believed in them because of the drive they displayed. She gave them the necklace she clutched in her hands for good luck. This _damn _necklace that cursed her loved ones just because of some overbearing promise.

But this kid. This youth. He may not have the same goal. He may not be gunning for a position that was absolutely worthless. But he had the same drive and compassion that Nawaki and Dan had.

Could she…place her faith in him? If only to place solace in the fact that he wouldn't feel the pain of loss that a shinobi undergoes? Those thoughts swirled in Tsunade's mind as she continued to watch Naruto even as Shizune returned and dressed his wound.

* * *

"What happened to the boss, Haku?"

As she laid her master on his bed, Haku addressed the older of the Demon Brothers as she tended to his wounds. "Zabuza-sama….lost his match and has suffered wounds that I'm attending too now."

"Wait. Boss lost?!"

"Unfortunately. I did not realize how resourceful his opponent was until I saw the battle for myself."

"Wasn't the boss fighting the kid that beat us yesterday?"

"Yes."

Gozu couldn't believe it. He just considered the kid lucky that he beat his younger brother and himself. But after waking up this morning and seeing that his brother was still out of it made him realize just how dangerous that kid was.

"H-Haku…"

Haku immediately turned her head towards her master. "Zabuza-sama!"

Zabuza tried to get up from his bed but his injuries didn't let him get much progress. With gentle assistance from Haku, he was laying on the bed again. "Please rest now, Zabuza-sama. Your wounds will reopen if your stress your body even further."

"Did I…win that…match?"

Haku had a sad look on her face as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. But Naruto has defeated you."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. He actually lost.

"I'm going back to the bar to compete, Zabuza-sama." She stood up and prepared to leave. "Please be assured that I have everything under control. The prize money will be ours."

"You better, Haku. If you end up losing…then leaving Gato would not have been worth it."

Haku nodded and turned to Gozu. "I'll take a quick look at your brother before leaving. Please keep an eye on Zabuza-same for me."

"You got it, Haku."

* * *

"Sorry for the wait, folks! Now for the next semifinal match: **Haku vs. Waraji!**"

Haku suppressed her worry for Zabuza and looked at her opponent. He didn't show any emotion on his face. He stared straight at Haku unflinchingly while his hands were in the pockets of his vests. Would she make the first move like all of her matches?

"Let's see if this match can triumph the last one. 3….2….1…._START!_"

"Doton: Ganchuso! (Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears!)"

Haku barely had time to move out of the way before a sharp rock formation rose from underneath her. Another set of pillars rose from the spot she landed and once again displayed her speed and moved out of the way. Jumping out of the way two more times, Haku fisted senbon from her sleeve and threw them towards Waraji who summoned a pillar in front of him to block them.

"You'll have to do better than that." Still in the same spot he stood in, Waraji formed new seals and slammed his palms on the ground.

Haku kept her eyes on Waraji but when the ground started to shake, she frantically looked all over the place to look for the reason why. Then, between her legs, Haku saw another pillar bursting through. Before she knew it, it shot out of the ground.

* * *

"Oh my!"

The entire underground area shook with a harsh magnitude as Waraji's jutsu affected everyone from the wide range perspective. Waiters couldn't hold on to their customer's orders, drinks were spilled, casualties stated to pile.

Basically, the situation was bad.

"It appears as if Waraji is pulling out the big guns in this match, folks!"

* * *

"With this…" Waraji stared at the now transformed arena. Around him, earth pillars that poked through the ceiling rose from above the ground and took up most of the area. The Destructive Rising Rock Pillars technique wasn't high rank for nothing.

Looking at the chaos almost reminded him of the Third Shinobi War. He used this very jutsu to back Konoha forces into a corner at the cost of some of his men. For results sake however, it got the job done. It almost seemed as if Iwa would claim victory.

Then the Kiiroi Senko appeared and decimated their forces with little to no difficulty.

As one of the few survivors of that dreaded day, Waraji couldn't bear to return to his home country with the shame that ate at him. Had he pressed the offense more in that war, his brothers wouldn't have fallen in battle. Iwa would have defeated Konoha and acquired their land.

But no. Fate did not grant them the victory they should have received. Next time, however, Konoha would fall. With the prize money, he would finally return to Iwa with some pride and rekindle the war. Hell, he could return with the news that he slayed the Yondaime's offspring. After all, that kid looked a bit too familiar for it to be coincidence. Then maybe…

Sensing a spike of chakra, Waraji rolled out of the way and avoided a ball of water. "Still alive, are you?"

With the chakra at her feet latching on at a rock pillar, Haku lowered her hand. Her clothes had some tears at the hems and shoulders. Even her bare legs at the shins were bleeding from small cuts.

The biggest surprise was that the bottom left of her mask cracked. This showed half of her mouth and more of her smooth skin.

"Hmph. I half expected you to die because my jutsu. But I guess I'll have the glory of personally seeing your death."

"I'm afraid my death is something that will not happen today." Bringing her hand forward, Haku did a series of seals.

'One handed seals?'

"Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishou!(Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!)"

Waraji looked left and right before his head looked up and saw a volley of needles pointed straight at him. Quickly forming the seal, he summoned earth walls around him to block most of the needles. Some pierced his forearms but the damage was minor to him. After that, he formed more seals and ended on one. "Doton: Iwa Nadare!(Earth Release: Stone Avalanche!)"

The tips from some of the pillars, including the one Haku stood on, cracked and rolled down towards her in the form of boulders. Jumping from pillar to pillar, Haku avoided the boulders and threw more senbon at Waraji who formed some earth from his hand and blocked them. 'He's strong. Almost on the same level as Zabuza-sama.' Hearing screams, she turned her head towards the people in the bar and saw that some of them we're running for the exit while some we're struck in debris. 'I must end this battle quickly before more unfortunate people get hurt.'

Waraji meanwhile decided to lower the pillars with the sparse amount of chakra he had left. Watching the earth go back into the ground, he formed a plan in his head to finish his opponent for good. Although he wasn't as fast, Waraji made up for it in offense and defense. He still had enough for another Destructive Rising Rock Pillars technique. It wouldn't be as effective as the last but if he cornered his opponent in the right area…

"Hyoton: Hissatsu Hyosho!(Ice Release: Certain Kill Ice Spears!)"

From under him, pillars made of ice formed and trapped Waraji in place. His arms were stuck in a spread angle so he couldn't form hand signs if he wanted too. His face was bleeding from the spears that grazed his face. "C-can't move…"

"I'm sorry, Waraji-san." Haku appeared in front of him. From what he could see from her mouth, he guessed the Hyoton user was frowning. In a sad way, he couldn't tell. "I can't allow you to harm anymore people."

Even though his body temperature was starting to fall, Waraji still glared at his adversary. "Collateral damage means nothing to me now. I-I must…" The former Iwa nin didn't say anymore as his head lulled into unconscious thanks to Haku's senbon.

* * *

"What a chaotic situation…and I can't even do my job anymore because of everyone running away."

Indeed. The bar was cleared out of people fearing that whatever jutsu(or magic as some people put it) came out next would kill them all. Some stayed behind to help those who got injured in the chaos or overall stick around to the finish. They were troopers.

"Announcer-san, the match is completed."

The announcer quickly turned around and saw Haku carrying Waraji's unconscious form over her shoulder.

"Y-you? The match is over you say?" He looked at Waraji then at Haku again. "Well then, you're the winner of this match. Though not a lot of people know that now."

"What will happen to the tournament?"

The announcer shook his head. "I'm not sure. I would have to get into contact with my boss and find out."

"If I arrive tomorrow, will things be settled?"

'Things WILL be settled tonight.' "Probably. Check back then."

"I will." With that, Haku disappeared in a flash.

* * *

**And that's another chapter. Again, as the story gets longer, the fights will get longer. Just gotta find my groove when writing them.**

**So...college sucks. I'll leave it at that. Criticism is gold.**


	7. Because their precious

"So gentlemen, do we have a deal?"

Before the tournament owner eyes were three young men that wore smirks on their faces.

The first one had a feminine like appearance with short light blue hair held back by a hairband. He wore shorts and a purple tank top that showcased a unique symbol and orange armbands. For footwear, instead of regular shinobi sandals, he wore brown boots.

The second one had brown, spiky hair that also had a headband wrapped around it. He wore a green, armless robe with a yellow pattern on it and regular shinobi pants. On his right arm was a strange device that had huge claws and parts that covered most of his arm.

The last one, presumably the leader, had long brown hair and makeup on his face. Standard shinobi clothing adorned him too with an umbrella strapped to his back. He stepped forward. "I understand you clearly. Picking off one of the former Seven Swordsman of the Mist and collecting their bounty? There's no mission better than that."

"Then I expect a quick victory. Get to it." Once the room was cleared off the shinobi, the old man looked at the announcer that stepped in. "Tell the boys to find the location of the battle and prepare the dynamite. I want bodies by the time I get over there."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

After dropping off Waraji at a local hospital, Haku returned to the shelter and checked up on her master. Unsurprisingly, he was sleeping soundly and couldn't help but let a soft smile creep onto her face. She even noticed Meizu was there next to him since the bed was big enough to fit both of them.

"Hope you don't mind, Haku. It's easier to keep an eye on both of them this way."

Haku smiled at Gozu. "It is fine." She decided to watch her master alongside Gozu and sat next to him.

"Did you win your match?"

"Yes. But I'm afraid the tournament might be cancelled. My opponent was rather reckless with his jutsu and ruined most of the bar."

"Does that mean we won't get the money?"

Haku's porcelain face became blank as her thoughts swirled. The premiere reason for entering the tournament in the first place was to win the prize money. But unlike the other competitors, the money was going to be used as funds to help in the fight against the Yondaime Mizukage. While working under Gato, Zabuza learned of the ongoing rebellion in Mizu no Kuni(Water Country) lead by Terumi Mei. While the money they received under Gato helped, it didn't cover as much expenses as they expected. Needless to say, when word of this tournament and the prize reached their ears, they gambled an assured job under Gato or a possible fling. If Haku was honest with herself, she preferred this over working with Gato. That man was scum to the bitter core.

But because of Waraji, was the host of the tournament going to continue with the festivities regardless? And she didn't know where her next opponent was either…

"I'm not sure. The answer to that question will be solved when I return and ask the announcer or any organizer. If the tournament ends up cancelled…" She looked at her sleeping master. "Zabuza-sama might end up stealing the money anyway." She looked at Gozu. "In any case, my last fight depleted my reserves a bit. So in a little while, I'll leave and get a hold of the situation."

"Very well, Haku." Gozu looked at his boss then at his little brother. "I don't usually say this but…my brother and I want to return to Kiri. That was the place we grew up in and we sure as hell want to serve it until we die."

"Don't worry. With Zabuza-sama at our side, anything is possible."

Gozu nodded and continued his watch. Haku smiled at him then looked at her master. Though the Oni Kyodai(Demon Brothers) seemed rough and uncouth at first glance, they were loyal and actually nice to be around once you peeled the layers. Both brothers tried to be intimidating to her at first because of being around a man of Zabuza's personality. But seeing her strength and the trust that Zabuza placed on her, they regarded her with nothing but respect. In a weird sort of way, Haku guessed they saw her as a little sister.

Haku treasured this family. She may ever act as merciless as her master but it didn't matt-

Widening her eyes, she looked at Gozu. "Quick! Grab your brother and-"

Before they knew it, their shelter in the woods was destroyed in an instant.

* * *

"Hiding all the way out here, huh." Shura watched as the shelter that Zabuza hid in was destroyed thanks to his subordinate's Mechanical Drilling Arm. It was a nice piece of work but he preferred his own weapon. Just for the simple fact that it was multipurpose and awesome. Suited him too.

Two figures appeared out of the smoke and landed in his vision. The pale face one fisted senbon and narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you?"

"We're the Shinobazu(Ninja Dropouts). We do whatever we feel like doing. Whether it be destroying homes or killing poor suckers that get in our way. Now hand over Zabuza and there won't be any trouble."

Haku widened her eyes a bit before they became as cold as her bloodline. "If that is your goal, I suggest you turn around and run as far away from here as possible."

"Why should we?"

"Because I won't let you get your hands on Zabuza-sama."

Shura whistled. "_Sama_ huh? You must be very loyal to him. Listen, I'll say this one more time because it would be a true shame to end up dirtying that pretty face of yours. Hand over the swordsman and we'll walk away."

Haku looked at her opposition one by one. After weighing her options for a bit, she looked at Gozu. "Take your brother and Zabuza-sama as far away as you can. I'll buy you some time and then catch up to you later."

Gozu stared at Haku. "Are you sure, Haku? I can deal with these guys while you get away."

Haku shook her head as she stepped forward. "You have more strength than me. Sadly, carrying Zabuza-sama and Meizu will slow me down." She started making hand signs. "Hijustu: Sensatsu Suishou!(Secret Jutsu: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!)"

Above the heads of the Shinobazu, needles formed from the moisture in the air were launched and caused them to jump from their spot.

"Now, Gozu!"

The older brother nodded as he hefted Zabuza over his shoulder and wrapped his chain around Meizu's torso. His little brother might feel some pain but he preferred that over death. Then popping a soldier pill in his mouth, he took off into the woods.

"Damn, they got away!" Shura looked at his other subordinate. "Go after them, Monju! Don't let them escape!"

The feminine like youth nodded and attempted to give chase but was quickly intercepted by Haku who delivered a swift kick to his face. Recovering from the blow, Monju took out some wires from his pocket and linked them with his hands. Then spreading them, he revealed a strange pattern. "Ninpo: Ayametori!(Ninja Art: Murderous Grasp!)" The wires glowed with chakra before it expanded and headed towards Haku's direction.

Haku managed to dodge in time but had to avoid another weapon in the form of a drill arm. Keeping her eyes on all of her opponents, Haku formed more seals with one hand. "Suiton: Mizurappa!(Water Release: Wild Water Wave!)" Once her cheeks bulged enough, Haku released a torrent of water from her mouth and aimed it at the one with the drill arm. Looking as his boss, he decided not to move and instead held up the large weapon and blocked the water jutsu.

Shura chose that moment to get behind Haku and withdraw his umbrella. Revealing the hidden sword underneath, he dashed forward and aimed a slash for Haku's midsection. Showing her awareness, Haku ended her jutsu and evaded the strike. Then fisting more senbon, she threw them at Monju who created more patterns with his wires. "Ninpo: Kago no Me!(Ninja Art: Wire Cage!)" All around him, chakra ingrained wires formed a barrier around Monju that deflected the senbon.

"Ninpo: Chishi Kurenai!(Ninja Art: Crimson Topography!)"

Haku turned her head to the ninja that had the drill arm who launched it at her. Widening her eyes, she rolled out of the way and saw it destroy any tree that got in its path and made a crater in the ground.

"Got ya!" Shura once again got in Haku's personal space with his sword on display. Thinking fast, Haku hardened her right arm with her chakra and formed an ice covering that blocked the swing. But she couldn't parry a forward jab that came from Shura's free hand and was forced to jump back when the umbrella shot flames from a hidden compartment.

"Now, Monju! Toki and I got this bitch!" Monju didn't waste any time and ran into the woods. Once Toki came to his side, he smirked at Haku. "It's too bad. You're actually putting up a better fight than I thought." He pointed his umbrella in her direction. "I hope you entertain me more before you die!"

Haku inwardly cursed at the situation. Her opponents didn't even look tired while her reserves were starting to decrease further. If she attempted to give chase, that would leave her vulnerable to their assault. 'It looks like I have no choice but to use my strongest jutsu against them. I hope it works.' As Haku gathered her remaining chakra, she prayed for her master and Gozu to get away safely. This further increased her resolve and desire for her goal to give her the strength to protect her precious people.

"Hyoton: Makyou Hyousho!(Ice Release: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors!)"

* * *

'Such an idiot…'

Within the mindscape of one Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi stared at her container who snored so loudly that she was tempted to set fire on his ass to wake him up.

Now there was a thought.

But as much as that would please her, Kyuubi didn't feel like it. Rather, she made no notion to do anything except keep her face blank and wave her tails absentmindly. Outwardly, that is.

Her current thought process revolved around one thing. The current…feelings that started to pester her inner thought process. Those feelings were of…attachment or whatever humans called them.

It started with some letter…

Regardless, it irked her to no end. She was the Kyuubi no Yoko for kami's sake! One of the most feared entities to ever exist in the shinobi world. With her infinite power, the Shodai Hokage had immense trouble fighting her and Konoha almost fell.

So why?

Was it because of this….idiot?

"…." Kyuubi just stared at Naruto for a few minutes before suppressing these confusing thoughts and closing her eyes for another round of sleeping.

Her container was starting to wake up. Maybe it was because of the sudden chakra spike in the northern direction? Oh well. She was going to make him change her mindscape later, that's for sure.

* * *

"Chishi Kurenai!(Crimson Topography!)"

The gauntlet arm tried to crush a mirror that spawned from the air but it failed when it bounced off of it. Toki cursed at the result and looked at his boss who weaved through senbon attacks and deflected them when he needed to catch a breath with his umbrella.

"You should focus more on yourself."

Hearing that voice, Toki cursed again and dodged senbon from his flank and activated the arm weapon again. Once again, he didn't hit pay dirt and got senbon stuck in his right arm. More senbon came his way but Shura came in front of him and spun his umbrella which deflected the next onslaught. He noted that his boss also had his fair share of senbon ingrained into his arms and legs.

"There's no end to this, boss! What the hell are we going to do?"

Shura looked at all of the ice mirrors with the many reflections of Haku staring back at him. "I think I understand how this jutsu works. I just need to…" Forming a quick idea in his head, he turned to his subordinate. "Here's the plan…..got it?"

"Tch. This is gonna suck but it better be worth it."

"Why don't both of you give up already? Senseless bloodshed can be avoided if we just go about our ways."

"You're still on about that? Ninpo: Chishi Kurenai!(Ninja Art: Crimson Topography!)" Toki made it look like he was going to shoot the weapon straight in front of him but at the last moment; he spun around and launched the arm at a mirror behind him. Since he put more chakra into that strike, Toki was glad to see his jutsu shatter one of those ice sculptures.

Shura widened his eyes at what his partner didn't see. He watched closely as the arm went towards the mirror. Those final seconds, he saw a bit of movement from it. A body moving from that mirror to the next.

So that was the bitch's aim. To confuse her enemy with the false illusions provided by the mirror and whittle them down slowly with her senbon assault. She honestly fooled him into thinking those mirrors made clones of her. So much senbon pricked into his skin because of this girl. And he couldn't defend fully even with his multi-function umbrella. Well, no more. Looking from mirror to mirror, he tried to find which one had the real caster of the jutsu.

"What now, boss?"

Narrowing his eyes, Shura looked at his umbrella then smirked. "You still have enough chakra to repeat that last shot?"

"Yeah. But I can't use that jutsu sparingly you know."

Shura opened his umbrella and gathered chakra for his next technique. "I want you to look closely for when the bitch moves from mirror to mirror. You can catch her at the right time." Spinning the umbrella at a good enough speed then throwing it in the air while it was still spinning, Shura brought his hands together. "Ninpo: Samedare Kekka!(Ninja Art: Rain Blood Drops!)"

From the sky, the umbrella released endless amounts of senbon from its compartment and struck the mirrors with a collective velocity. While this going on, Toki was paying close attention to the mirrors while at the same time dodging the senbon that was falling from the sky. If he wasn't used to his boss's jutsu, his concentration would have been screwed. But after looking at all of the mirrors, all of the gaps in-between, he saw what Shura wanted him to see.

A hand going to the next mirror. That was his chance!

"Chishi Kurenai!(Crimson Topography!)"

His gauntlet arm fired with gusto and destroyed the mirror that Haku transferred too. Said ninja was wide eyed with blood flowing from her lip as she slid harshly on the ground. Without a chakra source to keep the mirrors steady, they disappeared into the nighttime air.

"Nice work, Toki." Walking up next to him, Shura let a victorious smirk crawl on his lips. "Too bad. That mirror trick almost had us there. But the Shinobazu can handle anything our opponents throw at us. Even your fancy bloodline."

Haku inwardly cursed as she shakily stood with senbon in her grasp. Her signature jutsu had depleted the majority of her remaining chakra reserves. She depended on that technique to finish them off but for them to find a way and beat it…

Coughing more blood that, Haku fought against her now blurring vision and prepared to do battle again. Even on her last legs, she swore to never let these men get to Zabuza-sama.

* * *

_Moments earlier…_

With a loud yawn, Naruto opened his blue eyes to the world once again. Noticing that he was sitting on something that wasn't the ground, he blinked at the sight of bed sheets covering half of his body and his shoulder patched up with carefully applied bandages.

"What am I doing in a bed?" Scrunching his eyes, Naruto picked at his memory to remember how he got in this room. He remembered facing Zabuza. He remembered fighting in his mist technique. He also recalled clashing with Zabuza at the end with his custom Taijutsu technique. After that, it was all a blur…..

Deciding to forget it for now, he got out of the bed, ignoring his sore muscles, and went for gear and clothes. Neatly folded and stacked on a table. That was nice. Smelled fresh too. He had to thank the person that went out of their way to do this for him. For a fleeting moment, his heart panged but was ignored.

Once Naruto strapped his gauntlets on again and gathered his storage scrolls, he looked out the window. The night sky was dominated by the presence of the shining moon and a cool breeze played with his wild, untamed hair.

Cooler than normal, actually. It almost felt….frigid.

That was when he felt the spike in chakra. "What was that?" Looking to the north, Naruto narrowed his eyes to try and see what was up ahead but the trees in the nearby forest blocked his view. Curiosity getting the better of him, he jumped on the window and-

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Looking behind him, Naruto saw the familiar head of the woman he saw the other day. "What does it look like? I'm leaving now."

"But you shouldn't be going anywhere in your current condition!"

Naruto grinned. "Sorry, lady. But Uzumaki Naruto can't stay in one place for long! Thanks for the treatment!"

"Hey-" Shizune let her outstretched hand stay in the air for a little bit before turning around and informing her master of the situation.

On Naruto's end, he ran over the rooftops of Otafuku Gai as he headed towards the forest. He narrowed his eyes a bit when he felt the chakra spike grow weaker. "What the heck is going on?" Wanting to find out, he picked up the pace.

* * *

Gozu avoided another wire assault and struck with his poisoned gauntlet. Sadly, he couldn't get past the annoying barrier that Monju surrounded himself in.

"You're still carrying on like that? Why don't you just make it easier on yourself and die already!"

Gozu refused to do that and dodged another onslaught of wire attacks. This time however, he barely managed to avoid getting his limbs cut off. He was still pissed at the fact that this girly looking punk managed to catch up to him. Not to mention that the aftereffects of the chakra pill from earlier were kicking in.

Combine that with his unsuccessful attempts at hitting his adversary and keeping an eye on his brother and Zabuza, Gozu wasn't having a great day.

Deciding to improvise, he took out a chain and threw around the shield. Once it was securely wrapped around it, Gozu tried to haul his enemy in. his already sore muscles struggled to help him with this task and a moment later, he refused this tactic and decided to use the chain as a whip instead.

"How pathetic. Kiri shinobi must be uncouth. Ayametori!(Murderous Grasp!)" Abruptly, the shield surrounding Monju disappeared in a burst with the hardened wires spreading in all directions. While Gozu himself didn't get sliced completely, he suffered fatal cuts as he harshly rebounded from the attack.

"D…damn it…"

"Heh. That takes care of you." Monju look at his handiwork before looking at his target. "Now to deal with Zabuza before he wakes up." Reaching for more wire in his pocket, Monju was about to finish the job-

"Dragon Strike!"

Before a loud voice reached his ears and made him look up to see a blond kid aiming a fist of pure chakra at him. Widening his eyes, he jumped out of the way and made a bit of distance.

"Who the hell are you?"

Monju looked at the blonde kid with a sneer on his feminine like face. "I should ask you that, you fool!"

Naruto looked at the clearing behind him to see all three of his former opponents. Two of them were still sleeping while the last one was bleeding heavily. Naruto then looked back at his enemy. "Are you the one that did this?"

"So what if I am? You think you're going to stop me?" Monju held his wires at the ready for another round but paused when he felt incoming chakra signatures. And the levels that he felt….were high. Around Jonin level. Did this kid bring reinforcements with him? If that was the case, then this mission was a bust. He was already running low on chakra and dealing with this kid, who shockingly had more chakra than the ones he felt, would be a pain. With a noise of disappointment, Monju decided to fall back and inform his leader of the situation.

Naruto watched the man run away and debated on whether to give chase or stay behind. He still wanted to know about the chakra spike from earlier. But looking at the blood on the ground, Naruto chose to stay behind for a little while. So he jumped down from the branch he was on and knelt to the bleeding Kiri shinobi. "Hey! You still alive?"

"Ughhh….you…."

"Yeah. What happened here?"

"….they….wanted boss…..Haku is dealing…..with the rest of them…"

Haku? He must have been talking about their masked member. Come to think of it, he didn't see that guy in the earlier.

"P-please…..get Haku befor…e…."

"Hey, hang in there!" Hearing a noise, Naruto looked up and saw the brown haired lady and the blond woman.

"There you are!" Once Shizune looked at the bleeding man, she ran to him and knelt to him. "What happened to him-Hey!"

"Please take care of him, lady! I gotta go get their friend!" Not wasting any more time, Naruto took to the trees again.

* * *

Haku remembered some stories that Zabuza used to tell her whenever he was in the mood to tell them. Sometimes, he would gladly talk about the greatest kills he made during his time as a shinobi under the Mizukage. Sometimes, he would preach the necessity of remembering shinobi ethics no matter the situation. And on the rare occasion, he would talk about the fights where he was running on nothing but adrenaline.

She didn't understand what that meant at first. But as she barely parried a sword strike with senbon and ducked underneath a forward jab, adrenaline was the perfect word to use in this situation. Willpower too. It truly was taking a lot out of her just to continue fighting in this situation. Her reserves were almost completely depleted. Her body shook with pain every time she parried her opponent's attacks. Overall, if Haku didn't have a premiere reason to keep fighting, she would have retreated a long time ago.

Trying to get some distance from her adversaries, Haku lashed out with an extended kick but was blocked. Using that momentum, she pushed her leg off of the arm and flipped through the air. She didn't anticipate the sword swipe that cut through her arm and the kick that struck her torso.

"Heh. Dealing with you is pointless now. Finish her off, Toki." Noticing a presence, Shura saw his second subordinate run up to him while breathing heavily. "Monju? Where's Zabuza?"

"A-about that, boss…"

Sensing another presence, Shura saw a blond kid running towards Toki with his arm blazing with chakra. "Toki, watch out-"

His call was on deaf ears. As soon as the blond connected with his punch, Toki was sent flying to the other side of the clearing and harshly collided with a tree. He became alarmed when the blow not only removed the drilling arm from Toki's possession, but the ninja himself was unconscious.

"What the hell?"

"Boss, we have to retreat. He isn't the only one to arrive. Jonin reinforcements are coming soon."

Shura cursed at the situation and looked at the blonde kid who stood protectively in front of Haku. "Get Toki. We're falling back." With that, the Shinobazu disappeared from the clearing entirely.

Seeing the threat running away, Naruto turned around and regarded the female with a grin but was alarmed when her eyes were closed. Panicking, he hefted up the girl bridal style, picked up the dropped weapon, and went back to the others.

* * *

"Is she going to be fine?"

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. She just suffered minor chakra exhaustion and blood loss. I've patch up her wounds so all she needs is rest now."

"Thank goodness."

"Speaking of rest, that's something you should be doing right now!"

"I told you I don't need rest. I'm as active as ever!"

"I'm sure you are but-"

"Let him be, Shizune. The brat's too hard wired to listen to you anyway."

"Who you calling brat?"

"Who do you think?"

Because of these voices, Haku clenched her eyes before opening them to a brown haired woman tending to her wounds and her would-be opponent glaring at another woman who had blonde hair as well and a sizable bust.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in my hotel room. Naruto brought you over here after he found you fighting those enemy shinobi."

That's right! "Zabuza-sama?"

"He's on the roof right now. It wasn't easy to convince him that I'm a medic but Naruto handled that well. I'm Shizune by the way and the other woman is Tsunade."

Tsunade? That name rings a bell. "Nice to meet you, Shizune-san. And thank you for healing my wounds."

Shizune smiled. "No problem. But you should be thanking Naruto. If he didn't get you over to me sooner, your wounds and condition would have been more fatal."

Haku looked at the blond who finally noticed that she was awake. "Hey!"

"Hello there."

"Let's leave them alone, Shizune. You're done for now."

"Very well, Tsunade-sama." With that, Shizune stood up and looked at Haku again. "Just get some rest and you'll be fine by tomorrow."

Haku nodded and saw both women leave the room. That left her with Naruto who took a chair and sat by her. For a few minutes, they did nothing but stare at each other. Haku started to feel uncomfortable before the blond chose to speak. "Who knew that pretty girl in the woods would've been my final opponent in the tournament."

Haku blushed at the compliment but responded in kind. "I wanted to tell you my name but it would have compromise my image."

"Ehh, I'm ok with it. Right now, I'm confused as to what's going on."

"Confused?"

Naruto rubbed behind his head as he talked. "I mean, are we still fighting or…."

"We're not, brat. The money is ours."

At that moment, Zabuza decided to make his appearance. The changes being a sleeveless shirt and a suitcase in his hands.

"Zabuza-sama."

"You did well, Haku. I've heard from the brothers and the brat."

Haku sat up and stared at her lap. "I was just doing what you would have wanted me to do."

"Nevertheless, I'm proud." Staring at the blonde the back at Haku, he brought the suitcase in full view. "I went to the bar to find out about the tournament proceedings. Turns out, the scum leading the entire thing was planning to take us all out and reap on our bounties. Managing to clean house but the rat got away. Doesn't matter. We got the cash so we're leaving as soon as your wounds are healed."

"Alright."

"I was part of the tournament too, you know! Don't I get a cut of that?"

Zabuza narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "Do you have any particular reason for needing this money, brat? Otherwise, I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

"Why you-"

"It's true, Naruto. That money is essential to our cause." Seeing that she caught his attention, Haku continued. "Our home is in the midst of a civil war that has gone on for too long. With the prize money in our clutches, we will be able to help those who fight against the Yondaime Mizukage's tyranny and bring peace to Kirigakure again."

Naruto blinked a few times before getting up from his seat. "So that's what you meant…" Walking to the window, ignoring Zabuza's stare, he looked at the people walking around Otafuku Gai.

"Naruto?"

After a while, Naruto looked at Haku again. "I may not fully grasp what your nindo means, but I can clearly see it." He looked at Zabuza. "This guy may not look like he deserves it," That got a warning grunt out of the tall man but he ignored it. "but I see the sort of relationship you have. Makes me sort of jealous in a way." Shaking those dormant feeling away, Naruto flashed Haku a cheesy grin. "If this means a lot to you, then I'll support you all the way."

Haku's eyes widened a bit. "Naruto…"

"We don't need your support, brat." The blonde just stuck his tongue out. "Your call, Haku. We can leave now or wait another day. Either way, the resistance isn't waiting for us."

Haku nodded and swung her legs over the bed and shakily stood up. "I-I can leave now, Zabuza-sama. My body feels a bit stiff but my injuries are taken care of."

"Tsunade lives up to her reputation, I see."

"Who?"

Zabuza stared at Naruto with a hint of surprise. "You don't know that blonde woman is Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin? Such a brat."

"Screw you."

"I'm ready, Zabuza-sama."

Seeing how quickly she put her clothes on, Zabuza nodded. "Then let's go. We'll make one more stop before moving on." With that, Zabuza Shunshin'd out of the room.

Before leaving, Haku heard Naruto shout her name. Turning around, she saw him with a smile on his whiskered face and thumbs up sign. "Good luck! I know you can do it."

Haku smiled fondly at Naruto before walking up to him and kissing him on his left cheek. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I hope to see you again."

* * *

Naruto stood in place with blue eyes wide and mouth open. He still couldn't believe it happened.

'Flies will go into your mouth if you keep it open.'

Hearing the internal quip, Naruto shook his head and left the room. On his way out, he met up Shizune and Tsunade and told them he was leaving as well. Another awkward moment came when Tsunade came up to him and kissed him on the forehead. After receiving the necklace and putting it around his neck, he waved to him and went on his way. But not before answering Shizune's question of where he was going.

All he did was put his thumb to his lips, grinned then turned to her. "….somewhere."

* * *

Waraji didn't waste any time after he woke from the hospital and raced to Iwagakure. Even though the shame still didn't shed his shoulders, the obligation to present the recent revelation to Onoki overcame that.

The Kiiroi Senko had an offspring.

* * *

**With that, the first arc is over with. I know some of you wanted to see a Naruto vs Haku fight. But I have a better time as to when to present that. The Chunin Exams is something I'm looking forward too.**

**Anyways, thank you guys for reading and the criticism. It helps. **

**Criticism for gold. If there's errors or anything, let me know.**


	8. Just another tale on the road of life

**Quick AN: Due to a certain someone, this chapter has a language warning.**

"Yosh! Time to go to new places, dattebayo!"

'Yes. Announce that to the world, why don't you?'

"You know you're as excited as I am."

On the road once again, Naruto took the time to not only take in the surroundings but chat with his resident demon. For some reason however, the Kyuubi sounded…weird. Maybe it was just him but the vixen didn't sound like her usual hard as nails personality. Sure, she still joked around….

Meh, it was probably no big deal.

What attracted his attention for the moment was the weapon he acquired after the whole scuffle with Haku. He shoved it at the back of his mind since urgent matters were present at the time. But since his mind was basically clear at the moment, he could pick at it with the curiosity that egged him.

Taking out the sealing scroll and activating it, he watched the drill arm fall to the ground with a bit of noise and took a step back to get a full view of it.

For the most part, the dark object was shaped in a cone like way with a palm that had five long fingers. Looking at the hole in the back part, Naruto bent down and put his arm in it. Scrunching his face, he wiggled his fingers inside the compartment….only to find that it didn't really do anything. Taking his arm out, Naruto held it with both hands and inspected it from every angle. "Hmm….." He tossed it in the air a bit before holding it again. "How do you use this thing?" Naruto made a humming noise as he thought about it.

'Why don't you apply chakra to it?'

Looking at the weapon again, Naruto considered it with a raised eyebrow. "You think that will work?"

'Give it a shot.'

Shrugging, Naruto placed his arm inside the hole again and pointed it in a random direction. Giving himself a silent countdown, Naruto narrowed his eyes and wiggled his fingers again. Then, he channeled chakra into the weapon…and rebounded with a yelp as the palm shot out of the gauntlet and pierced through any tree that got in its way. It lasted until it was 10 yards away from his position.

"…."

'….well that's effective.'

Still shocked about the result, Naruto stared at the small destruction that one weapon caused.

Pierced anything…

Simple chakra boost….

10 yards….it was official.

"I'm even more awesome that I thought, dattebayo!" Grinning like a fool, Naruto reeled in the claw with the cable that came out. He already saw the things he could do with this bad boy. No one would expect someone like him to use a drill arm that can plow through anything. Heck, looking at the cable gave the blond another cool idea.

Why bother jumping from tree to tree…when you can _swing_ from tree to tree?

Naruto could see it now. Random bad guys coming out of nowhere and unleashing their long range jutsu at him. Then at his silent command, the claw shoots out of the gauntlet, latches onto a tree and he jumps away with incredible speed. On the rebound, he would soar high into the air with the bad guys looking in complete awe as they WISHED they could do something like that. Then he would strike all of them down with little to no effort. It would force them to acknowledge his epicness and promise to never do bad again. Then his exit would be swinging from branch to branch while impressive even more strangers.

Aw yeah. Naruto could totally see himself doing that. Yup. It was official.

If anyone was known for doing this…well he would go directly in their face and say he did it better.

'Your imagination knows no bounds, does it?'

Naruto chuckled as he rounded up the claw and reattached it to the gauntlet. "It's what makes me awesome." Happy with his results, the blond set out again. "I should give this thing a name. Hmm….Drill Driver? No…..Punish Claw? Ehh…too cliché. Uhh…..Heaven Piercer?" He stopped for a moment.

Silence.

"…..sounds cheesy." He kept walking. "You have any ideas, Kyu?"

'How about, "Move out of the way before your skull gets implanted by a kunai?"'

"The hell kind of name is-" As soon as Naruto caught the meaning, he sidestepped two times and saw two kunai planted that was aimed for his head. "What the hell?"

Before him, two ninja appeared and regarded him with threatening glares. Their faces were covered with a ski mask that bore a musical note symbol and only revealed their eyes. They wore gray grabs with camouflage collars around the neck held by a purple sash. Black shinobi pants and open toed sandals finished the getup.

"What are you doing in this part of the woods, kid?"

Naruto squinted his eyes as he replied. "Whatever I want, dattebayo." He yelped as a kunai whizzed by his face.

"That's for the stupid answer."

"And if you don't want to end up dead, I suggest you turn around and don't come back."

Naruto blinked at the attitude. Then he crouched low with a challenging grin on his face. "Sorry. You're gonna have to _make _me turn around."

That was all it took for the two ninja to dash forward with kunai at hand. Meeting them halfway, Naruto raised his gauntlet arm and parried both lunges. Then with a wide swing, Naruto forced both ninjas back and threw an explosive tag with his other hand. Since the intent of that explosive tag was to distract his foes, he successfully nailed one of them with a strike from the gauntlet arm.

His other opponent came to his position and engaged in taijutsu. That was when Naruto learned one of the fatal flaws of his new toy.

It made his close combat a bit…off. The gauntlet arm itself didn't weigh that much so he could lift it with no problems. But with someone in his personal space, he couldn't do much unless he had the mobility to match. Receiving a punch to the face and performing a backflip onto another tree branch, Naruto decided to seal the gauntlet back up again and face the remaining ninja with his own two fists. Charging again, his opponent was caught off guard with the speed he displayed. Wild punches and kicks were parried by hastily put up guards and evaded by quick sways. Naruto raised his foot to do a roundhouse kick…but dropped it at the last second and instead channeled chakra into his fist. "Dragon Strike!" His opponent was helpless as the chakra charged punch was planted into his stomach and was sent flying until he collided with a tree and passed out.

Satisfied at his victory, Naruto looked in the direction the two shinobi came from. "This part of the woods, huh? Sounds fishy."

'Going to do something about, are you?'

Grinning at a possible challenge, Naruto headed in that direction. "Of course!"

* * *

'Now to see if the courageous hero passes the trials and gets the prize.' On top a tree, a young male watched as a butterfly climbed onto a silk spider web to get to the center all the while not knowing of the trap waiting for it.

This male had a dark skin color with shaggy black hair and black eyes. He wore a sleeveless tan tunic with black shorts and a rope belt around the waist. The unique traits that stood out were the headband that had a musical note on it and the six appendages that served as arms. One of those arms had a finger that was wrapped around a thread that would trigger the trap as soon as it was tugged.

'He's getting close…' The butterfly was halfway to the end. Its orange and black wings continued to flap as it crawled closer and closer.

Almost….

Almost….

…..there!

Silently tugging the web, Kidomaru watched in glee as the butterfly tried to fly away from the center of the web. Its attempts were futile as a brown spider crawled and encased its prey in a silk cocoon.

"Hmph. The hero is always brave. But bravery isn't always enough to overcome the boss challenge. If only you were prepared…"

"This is so fucking boring!"

Hearing that loud voice, Kidomaru sighed and turned his black eyes his partner. By the looks of it, she was going to throw another tantrum.

His companion had long red hair that gave off a pink vibe if it wasn't looked at carefully. On top of that mop of hair was a black cap which had some bandages on the sides. Like him, she also wore a tan tunic, black shorts and standard shinobi sandals.

"I don't know why we we're chosen to do this shitty job! I mean, you would think our leader would have better uses for us but nope! Gotta watch some fresh noobs and make sure they get the job done right. Uhhh!"

"Geez, Tayuya. Could you complain even more? We just started our shift and you're already making too much noise."

Red hair swished as her head immediately turned in his direction and dark green eyes narrowed. "Don't start, spider boy. I'm already pissed as it is. I don't need you making it fucking worse."

Kidomaru had his chin on one of his hands as he regarded his partner. "And how am I making things worse for you? If you haven't noticed, I've been minding my own business and finding my own ways of amusement. You should try doing that. Maybe then, you won't act like you got a stick up your-"

"Finish that sentence and I'll rip all of your arms off!"

Kidomaru sighed again as he decided to lie back on the tree he was on and look up in the sky. "You're never happy with whoever you work with. Like that one team member in a guild no one can stand."

"Don't compare me to your stupid game characters, shitface. I can't stand any one of you because you're all freaks. Sakon has serious issues, Jirobo eats too fucking much and you're weird with your game comparisons."

"And you curse. A lot." Kidomaru lazily turned his head her way. "As far as I'm concerned, your screws are as loose as ours."

"What did I say about-" Tayuya stopped in mid speech as she noticed one of her subordinates appeared and bowed before her and Kidomaru. The latter looked at him too. "This had better be good."

"Captains, we have a situation. Someone is removing our forces from the nearby village."

Tayuya narrowed her eyes and gave off some killing intent. "Care to repeat that?"

"S-someone is clearing our men out of the village nearby. I-I don't know who's doing this but half of our original forces have retreated."

While Tayuya continued to demonstrate more of her colorful language, Kidomaru jumped down from the tree he was on. "Is that so?" Stretching all of his arms, Kidomaru had a smirk on his face. "At least things won't be boring anymore."

* * *

"Come on! Are you guys even trying anymore?" Naruto, for one, was having too much fun. His hunch was correct when he headed in this direction. What lied out here in these woods was a very small village that had a low population of civilians living their lives in comfort. Well, that was the assumption because these ninjas bossed everyone around and treated them like dirt.

Being the only one around willing to take care of business, Naruto proceeded to kick all of these ninja's asses one by one. Two by two's if they thought it was an effective strategy.

Again, Fuinjutsu was amazing. These ninjas didn't expect a lot of the things up his arsenal. Smoke bombs, explosions(none too lethal or big), and rotten egg smells(for good nostalgia from his prankster days).

Not to mention-

"Dragon Strike!"

His patented finisher.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the fact that he was fighting in a village with civvies in the way-

Naruto suddenly gasped when he felt something graze his forearm harshly at a high speed. Hissing and putting his palm on the open wound, he looked up and saw a dark skinned male around his age holding a bow and arrow aimed at him. "Huh. If I aimed a bit lower, his forearm would have come off…"

"This is the shit that caused all the problems?" Blue eyes lay on a redheaded girl with a cap on her head and a scowl on her decent features. "These guys are fucking pathetic!"

Wow. And Naruto thought he had a potty mouth.

Shaking his head, he looked at the male and just noticed the six arms. Creepy. "I guess you guys are the ones in charge?"

"That's right. Kidomaru is the name." One of his arms pointed at his partner. "She's Tayuya." Kidomaru prepared his crossbow. "And I hope you are going to make things fun." An arrow was shot at high speed.

Naruto avoided it the nick of time but was kept on his toes once another came to his position. In order to avoid the accurate shots from his foe, Naruto had to continuously jump from roof to roof. The aim was so scary that if he stood still for one moment, those arrows would do more than graze his skin.

But focusing on the multi armed foe cost him as he felt a chill around his left thigh. Looking down, he yelped and backed away from some creepy ghost thing with transparent skin and wide jaws all over it. "The heck?"

'Look out!'

Kyuubi's warning came late as an arrow pierced through his stomach with the force making him crash through the house he was standing on.

"Bulls eye." Kidomaru lowered his bow and looked at his partner. "Well that was easy."

"Tell me about it. That shitstain wasn't even worth the-" Tayuya stopped her speech when she saw Naruto blow through the roof with a fist made from chakra. "What-"

"Is that all you guys got? You can shoot all the arrows you want. Uzumaki Naruto won't go down that easy, dattebayo!"

Tayuya bristled at the insult. "Oh yeah, you piece of shit? We're just warming up!" If it was possible, Tayuya became even _more_ insulted when the blond turned around and patted his rear end at her.

The icing on the cake was when he also gave her the middle finger and dashed off.

"Okay. He's going to die." With that, Tayuya gave chase. Sighing, Kidomaru followed after her. At least the soon to be dead kid was amusing.

* * *

**Oh Tayuya. We love you so much just because of the way you act. One of the many characters Kishi _shouldn't_****killed off. Anyways, this arc won't last long. In fight, the whole thing might be wrapped up next chapter. **

**And I do appreciate the support I get for this fic. Last I checked, this fic has over 3,000 views and is in two communities. For a noob like me, it means something. **

**Criticism is gold. P.S I hope you guys don't get offended at the references. All in good humor.**


	9. Foes and ninja all over the place!

**Warning: Because of you-know-who again, there is excessive language in this chapter. Please, for your safety, refrain from drinking because of repeating phrases.**

'Hope that lures them away.' Despite his trash talk, Naruto knew better then to underestimate his opponents. Those arrow shots were too accurate for his tastes. Hell, if it wasn't for his special condition, his stomach wound would have been more fatal then let made it appear to be. And whatever tricks that redhead had up her sleeve was another factor to deal with.

Against the odds. In a sick sort of way, Naruto liked it. He asked for a challenge and he got it.

More hairs were clipped off as another arrow whizzed past his head. Both of them were gaining on him. 'I'm as far away as possible.' Nodding to himself, Naruto slapped explosive tags on two nearby trees and waited for the right moment.

"Why you running, chicken shit?"

Once he judged the proper distance between them, Naruto turned around and held up a hand sign. "Now!"

The two Oto shinobi were unaware of the tags and as a result got caught up in the explosion.

"Did that get them?" When the smoke cleared, Naruto saw the two dead bodies of his opponents. "Wow. That was easier than I thought." Jumping to their location, Naruto knelt down and reached for their necks…

'Naruto, move!'

"Shit!" Naruto quickly jumped out of the way when a creature with shaggy hair covering its face, dark green body suit and a giant metal club came down on his position. The assault wasn't finished so he reached for a kunai and deflected three arrows aimed for him. "So that was…"

'Your enemy this time knows Genjutsu(Illusionary Techniques). Remember what I taught you.'

"Can't believe he fell for that." Kidomaru appeared three trees away with his partner next to him. However, her appearance slightly changed with black lines appearing on her delicate skin.

"Stay out of the way, Kidomaru. This shithole is mine." Having said her piece, Tayuya brought a flute to her lips and played a deceptively sweet melody.

'Genjutsu. These guys are tougher than I thought…' Naruto saw two more creatures with the first one. One of them had its upper body wrapped with bandages and brown pants. Its head was bent at an awkward angle and needles sticking out of it. The other was shirtless and wore dark pants. Its head bore many scars on it and its hands had thorn like weapons attached to them. 'And those guys.' Without warning, all three of them charged forward.

Clutching his kunai, Naruto avoided the club creature and jumped off the shoulder of the spiked creature. Now in the air, Naruto threw two more explosive tags and saw them ascend from their branches and head for his position. Risking it, Naruto decided to free-fall from his height. His arms were spread wide during the descent before he brought one up to clash with the headbutt from one of the creatures. Using that as leverage, Naruto flipped over that one and parried the club strike. Predicting a third onslaught, the blond twisted his body and spun around until he landed on another branch. "Now's my chance!" All three demons were in the air so capitalizing on that, Naruto opened a scroll and summoned a Bomb Ball. Then with a shout, he threw it at the center and marveled at the big explosion in the air. Naruto clutched his kunai tighter as he waited to see bodies fall from the sky.

The anxious gaze turned into a surprise as all three demons came out unharmed and no worse for wear. Naruto didn't have time to call foul as they crashed onto his position. He managed to avoid being crushed with a reflexive flip but was soon forced to engage in close quarter combat again. The tan demon came in with two wide punches that Naruto swayed left and right from. When he looked up and saw it go for a two handed smash, Naruto took a big step back and used the double handed grip as a spring board to go airborne again. In response, the spiked head demon followed after him. Smirking, Naruto brought his left fist parallel to his face and expelled his chakra around it. "Let's see you shrug off this! Dragon Strike!"

The creature showed no sign of backing down. In fact, it opened its mouth and released the same transparent demon thing. Naruto widened his blue eyes when the freaky thing not only went through his fist but devoured the chakra around it. "What the? My Dragon Strike-" The blond took his eyes off the demon that released it and paid for it with a solid headbutt to his torso. The pain felt worse when he felt the metal club dig into his back and launch him towards endless trees.

XXX

"That'll show that shitstain not to mess with me." Tayuya had a victorious smirk on her face when she saw her Doki nail that blond shit. If it was one thing she had to admit, the blond knew how to handle himself against her creatures. Agile, quick and had tricks up his sleeve. But she wasn't elite under her boss for nothing.

"Huh. You didn't need my help after all." Kidomaru decided to put his bow away and sat on the tree with his chin in two of his hands. "Guess I'll be playing the backup role in this fight."

"I don't need you, period." All of her summons came back to her position once she played a quick melody. "I wonder if he's bleeding out now."

* * *

'Damn….' Naruto could certainly say he had harsher punishment before but it didn't mean a direct club strike wasn't something you could shrug off. Good thing he slapped a suppression seal on himself to hide his position.

'Those are probably summons, Naruto. You can't take them out with average techniques.'

'Summons?' No wonder those things were tough. Nothing survived a direct impact with a bomb ball explosion. 'Tch. Any ideas, Kyu?'

The red vixen waved her tails as she made a humming noise. 'Summons is brought to this world by the caster of the technique. You would have to disrupt the caster's chakra flow, force them to dispel the summons or devise a technique strong enough to dispose them.'

'That so?' Naruto crawled out of the tree he landed in and got some loud pops from his bones as he stretched his body. 'Can't I just make some arrangement to send them back…wait. I got a better idea.'

'Do you? I shall see what you have in store then. Don't disappoint me, Naruto.'

'Trust me, Kyu.' Naruto reached for his supply scroll and fingered his brush. "I never disappoint."

* * *

Kabuto sighed as he carried a stack of manila folders in his hands. Just another day in his lord's underground base. But he wasn't complaining.

All of the experiments conducted here kept up his immense satisfaction. By rights, you could compare him to a giddy kid who didn't care about getting lost in a candy store. That's how he felt working down here. The quest for knowledge was forever infinite, after all.

Kabuto managed to open the door in front of him and stepped inside as the smell of decay and faint traces of blood entered his nostrils. "You're looking well, Kimimaro."

Lying on a treatment bed with multiple wires strapped to him and a seal tag on his face, the patient known as Kimimaro made a noise of recognition despite having multiple tubes in his mouth. "Kabuto-sama."

Kabuto put the manila folders on a table and sat on a chair in front of many computer screens. He quickly made noise with the keyboards by expertly typing in commands and text phrases. He looked up when several graphs appeared. "Well, your scans haven't changed much. And by these results, it seems your illness is going to get progressively worse."

"Just say it, Kabuto-sama. Am I…useless?"

The gray haired male smirked as he continued to look at the screens. "Actually, despite my depressing tone, I have good news for you." Closing the graphs, Kabuto turned around in his chair. "Orochimaru-sama has sent two of your subordinates to a small village in Hi no Kuni." Kabuto's smirk stretched. "This particular village has a plant that can aide me in curing your problem." He got the expected response when Kimimaro gasped in surprise. "That's right. There's hope for you yet. But sadly, there's a bit of bad news to go with this." Kabuto's glasses glinted as he leaned forward. "This particular plant only grows once a year in this village. And it wilts in three days. My last report from the village was 5 days ago."

Kimimaro digested this information and went into silent complementation. Even so, the only thought that sung in his mind was 'I can still serve Orochimaru-sama.' His master went out of his way to make sure he still survived. Kimimaro almost felt like crying but forced himself to say focused. "Who did you send to lead this operation?"

"That would be Kidomaru and Tayuya. Do you trust them?" His answer was the sound of cables and wires disconnecting from the table. Kabuto wanted to chuckle but controlled himself and saw Kimimaro open his gray eyes. "Hmm…"

"I will handle this task. Tell me where they are."

"Are you positive? You might worsen your illness if you push yourself further."

Kimimaro's green eyes spoke of the determination that flowed through his body. "If there is still an opportunity to serve Orochimaru-sama, I will capitalize on it. If this body gives away, then I have truly have no more use in this world." With that, Kimimaro jumped out of the medical bed and dashed out of the bed.

Kabuto couldn't even bother to hold back his chuckle now. Orochimaru-sama was on to something when he called him manipulative. He laughed it off that time.

Now….

* * *

'Where is that shitard?' While Tayuya remained confident in this fight, she was starting to get a bit anxious. Her fingers continued to close the holes on her flute as the notes continued to command the three otherworldly demons.

"Geez. And here I thought our boredom was going to be over."

Though Tayuya shared the sentiment, she didn't voice it and continued to scout the forestry for any hint of yellow hair or orange clothing.

Those two colors stood out so much. Shit colors for a shit-

Her eyes widened when a kunai came flying from her eleven o'clock position. Her shirtless Doki blocked it with its arm guards. More kunai with shuriken added in the mix came and the same demon blocked them all. Narrowing her eyes, Tayuya changed the note of the melody and the other two Doki charged forward. Their body language gave away their confusion as they moved their heads left and right.

'Screw this.' Tayuya changed the notes to her music in order for her Doki to release the unstable spirits again. 'These guys crave chakra like Jirobo craves food. They'll find him no matter where he hides!'

The demons waved their presence through the air as they searched for their meal. Jaws dripped with saliva in anticipation.

"Oi!"

All heads turned to the blonde whose smile stretched across his face and hands buckled into his hips.

Tayuya immediately gave the command to her Doki and all three with their demons still in the air came in with unrelenting fury.

Naruto responded by throwing a kunai towards a branch and used the hidden wire on it to swing from his last spot before it got destroyed. The blonde looked behind him to see all three of his demonic foes following him and charged forward. During this, he kept his blue eyes focused on Tayuya and increased his speed.

'What's that idiot doing?' Tayuya didn't stop her melody but became alarmed when he got closer and closer to her location. And from the corner of her eye, Kidomaru didn't even move from his spot. 'Don't need him.' Her tune became more frantic and along with it, the Doki increased their speed.

Naruto got closer.

The Doki was one branch away.

Tayuya felt the jumping reflex.

A blazing shell of hardened chakra enshrouded a tightened fist.

"AHHHH!"

A scream filled the air the Doki intervened the strike meant for the master. The blonde's eyes were wide as he felt his body pierced with weapons and bare hands.

"Heh! Nice try, you piece of shit! Such a simple, ass backwards strategy like that can't beat me!"

Instead of wearing a horrified expression on his face, 'Naruto' had that annoying smirk on his face. "You're right. That's why you're going down with something I've prepared just for you!" With that, 'Naruto' exploded in a cloud of smoke that covered the entire area.

"What?" Tayuya covered her eyes when the smoke engulfed her person. 'Shit. If this smoke is poisonous, I'm done for.' She didn't know if Kidomaru was doing anything about this but Tayuya wouldn't let this get the best of her. So she brought her hand up to do a seal…

**_SMACK!_**

But then she let loose the loudest scream of curses she said in her young life.

* * *

Naruto….stared at his gloved hand. Stared long and hard. Stared as if it was some foreign intruder in his life.

When the smoke cleared, he looked at angry green eyes.

Silence.

…..more silence.

…

"DID YOU JUST SPANK MY ASS, YOU PERVERTED ASSHOLE?!"

Naruto quickly put up his hands and waved them frantically. "It's not what you think, dattebayo! I was just trying to hit your back, honest! I didn't realize how thick the smoke wa-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT PISS POOR EXCUSE, SHITFACE!" Tayuya then became aware of the noise her partner was making. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!"

Kidomaru's body still shook with laughter as he stood up and absentmindedly wipe a tear out of his eye with one of his hands. "Now THAT's something you don't see every day. Wait till Sakon and Jirobo hear about this."

"If you say anything about this, I'LL PERSONALLY RIP ALL YOUR ARMS OFF AND FEED YOU TO MY DOKI!"

Kidomaru chuckled as he stretched said arms. "Heard that one before. Still doesn't sound threatening to me."

'Now's my chance!' Naruto made the seal and spiked his chakra. Though he couldn't see his seal because of….ahem, where it was, he watched as his red-headed foe and her partner got on their knees.

"W-what the hell?" Because of the disruption to her chakra network, her Doki left the field with three simultaneous pops. "M-my Doki."

"I really am sorry." Naruto held up a sealing pattern in his palm. "If I saw through the smoke properly, this was gonna go on your back or your arm." Naruto rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "And hey. I wasn't planning on killing either of you. You're lucky the seal only paralyzes you."

While Tayuya cursed more, Kidomaru held his head up and regarded Naruto with a challenging smirk. "So you're not just some random field grunt. That's good." Naruto tensed when he saw black patterns appear on his face and body as well. "Now it's my turn. Let's see what boss challenge you have for me." Kidomaru drew blood from his thumbs and slammed them on the branch he was on. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!(Summoning Technique!)"

Naruto looked up with wide eyes as he saw a HUGE tarantula with multiple glaring eyes, hairy legs and pointy teeth.

"Another summon?"

Kidomaru smirked as he threw a kunai and threw it across a cocoon that his summon made. From that very cocoon, multiple spiders fell from their threads and came in Naruto's direction.

"Damn!" Naruto palmed two kunai and went to work. Thread after thread was cut with wild swipes from the metal weapon as the orange clad youth resisted with fervor. As much as he got rid of, Naruto didn't notice over time that his speed started to decrease.

It came to a point where from the feet up, his body was slowly being encased by webbing. Naruto tried to swipe with his kunai but his arms became trapped. His shout couldn't be heard when the webbing eventually covered his mouth then his entire face. At that point, only his blonde hair stood out from the mummy like appearance.

"Heh. They always fall for this trick." Kidomaru's cheeks bulged before spitting out a golden concoction that formed into an arrow when Kidomaru's arms shaped it. "Now to finish it…" With the arrow cocked in the bow and aimed at a target, Kidomaru got ready to fire….

Until the cocoon that contained the blond was ripped to shreds. Now with his new gauntlet, Naruto immediately activated the grapple and once the claw caught a grip on a branch near his enemy, he flung himself forward and expelled his chakra again. "Dragon Strike!"

Naruto thought he connected with his enemy but instead punched through the back of the giant spider. As a result, the large summon grew bigger when Naruto's fist went inside its flesh. When it couldn't take anymore, it exploded into many golden arrows that forced Naruto to detach his grapple and jumped back. Kidomaru and Tayuya did the same while suffering minor injuries.

Both sides stared at each other.

Even though there was a cut on his whiskers, Naruto grinned. "I'll be honest: I'm having too much fun right now."

"You would think like that, huh pervert?!"

Kidomaru only chuckled. "Despite my partner's unfortunate circumstance, I'm also enjoying myself. It's a shame. If this wasn't a deathmatch, then I would love to play this game with you again." From one of his arms, the same golden concoction formed and turned into another arrow. "Now for Round 2-"

"I knew I couldn't rely on you trash to get the job done."

Both Sound Four members froze at the familiar smooth voice. Hoping it wasn't a trick, necks slowly turned until they laid their eyes on the gray haired youth staring at them with a blank face.

"Kimimaro?"

"Why the hell are you here?"

Kimimaro moved in front of them with a quick Shunshin and showed a purple flower with green bulbs on the inside. "I came to procure the item Orochimaru-sama requested. I'm not surprised to find you two goofing off."

"Goofing off? That shit over there was ruining our operatio-"

"Quiet." Paying no attention the redhead's heated glare, Kimimaro stared at the blonde who look at him with a wary expression. After committing his appearance to memory, Kimimaro turned around and ignored the killing intent from his comrades. "Time to return to base."

Kidomaru looked at the spot his 'leader' vanished from and waved at Naruto. "Boss's orders. Hope you play another game some time."

Tayuya burned her stare into Naruto. "Next time, I'll kill you were you stand. Count on it, you perverted shithole!" Both Oto shinobi Shunshin'd from the area.

Being the only one left in the area, Naruto stared at his location before he headed toward the village again.

* * *

Kimimaro held the beaker that contained his antidote. As soon as his feet touched the base, Kimimaro literally shoved the plant in Kabuto's hands and the four eyed male immediately got to work.

It only took two hours to make the antidote.

"What's the problem, Kimimaro?"

The liquid went down his throat with no hesitation.

Kimimaro blinked twice.

"How do you feel?"

Kimimaro waited a bit more before turning to him and replying. "It's fighting with the virus….and its winning."

"Congratulations, Kimimaro-kun."

All it took was to hear his voice and his heart danced. "Orochimaru-sama."

With grace only an experienced predator can exhibit, one of Konohagakure's famous nuke-nin walked in front of his loyal servant and rested a pale hand on his head. "Let's go, shall we? Our goals are going to be realized with this first step."

"I will not fail you, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru chuckled. "I know you won't."

* * *

Sasuke removed her bloodstained hand from the dead corpse of one shipping magnate, Gato. Of course the trash himself wouldn't put up any fight at all. After all that bravado disappeared when his precious thug army ran for the hills or died by her hands, the only thing left was a pitiable excuse for a human. It didn't even make things any better when he looked at her like a whore that treaded in the deepest districts of Konoha.

With Gato's death confirmed, Sasuke rubbed her left hand and winced a bit. She felt no shame in trying to perform her first copied jutsu. At that thought, her right hand reached up and covered her right eye. The bloodline that made her clan feared flowed through her very veins. Another step closer…another step forward toward her ambition…..one grand step to see him dead.

'_Cling to life. Cling until the day you confront me with these very eyes.'  
_

Coal eyes narrowed.

'_Until then, foolish little sister, hate me with your very being.'_

The bastard didn't even realize that she already held hatred for him. Because of precious Itachi, the Uchiha prospered even further.

Because of the _prodigy_, he will lead the clan when her father finally closed his eyes.

Because of him, she will just be another breeding material. Just another vessel for the clan to produce another Itachi.

That last point hasn't changed at all. The elders that reside by that old sack of shit. The civilians that bow before the shinobi that protects them. They may praise her. They may kiss the very ground she walked.

But with these eyes that see through all…

"I didn't like Gato as much as you, Sasuke. But if would have been better if we brought him back to Konoha to answer for his crimes."

Sasuke's head whirled to face her _sensei_. Even referencing him with that term made her sick. No, there was a better term for him.

Her 'prey'. Yes, that sounded _so_ much better.

"Well that's too bad. I don't remember you saying to keep him alive."

Two red eyes stared into one red eye. The former unflinchingly and the latter with an emotionless stare that betrayed the underlying feelings.

Kakashi stared more until he sighed and brought his headband over his red eye. "Well, the mission isn't over yet. But the worst is over. Go to your teammates and confirm their status for me."

Sasuke's neck vibrated with noise as she walked past him. When she came parallel with his shoulder, Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder and brought his masked face to her ear. "We're going to have a chat later about stealing jutsu that needs my consent first."

Sasuke almost made an enraged expression but for appearance sake suppressed her emotions and walked forward.

Kakashi looked down at the corpse and sighed once more. His old friend must be crying in his grave now.

* * *

**Another chapter down. I'm surprised at the amount of people who favorited/follow this story. I thank you all again. **

**And uh...review...please? *bows head and puts hands together? Criticism IS gold. I'm very serious.**


	10. Wounds so deep

"We convey our deepest thanks for rescuing us all, Naruto-san."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he showered the townsfolk with his wide grin. "It was nothing I couldn't handle, dattebayo."

"Even so, know that we are forever in your debt."

Naruto looked at all of the villagers who looked at him with nothing but pure awe and kindness. At that moment, his heart swelled with a spark of emotion. He almost brought his gloved hand to clench his chest but chose not to.

"Thank you, guys." Damn it. Why now, of all moments, did he feel like crying? Shaking his head and turning away from everyone, he looked in the northern direction and jumped into the forest.

Watching the blonde tackle the surrounding forests, the leader of the small village turned to his daughter as she stood beside him. "Aww, did he have to leave so soon? I wanted to talk to him for a bit…"

Chuckling, the leader put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe one day, you'll see him again."

"Really, papa?"

"Yes."

* * *

Naruto stared forward as he continued to maneuver through the forests.

'That was rather…off, don't you think?'

"What was?"

'You're leaving of that village so suddenly.'

Naruto's eyes dimmed a bit. "I don't know what you're talking about."

'Lying to me is useless, Naruto.' Those words made Naruto freeze in place and widen his eyes. 'The real answer is that the sudden admiration focused on you opened old wounds. Am I correct?'

"_Watch me, jiji! When I become Hokage, everyone will have no choice but to acknowledge me!"_

Naruto stood still with his head bowed as the winds played with his hair and ruffled his clothes. That memory was from a time when he was still a dreamer. Still a boy that declared from the top of his lungs that he would rise above all and gain recognition from it.

"…."

Kyuubi sighed once she saw the change in her host's demeanor. 'Look. I didn't mean to bring that up, Naruto. But one of these days…'

"I understand, Kyu." Clenching his fist, Naruto continued on his path.

Kyuubi, once again, wasn't fooled. 'Do you really, Naruto?'

Unbeknownst to both parties, they were being watched. And if they paid close attention, they would've noticed one of the watchers quickly depart to an unknown location.

* * *

Danzo digested the information brought to him by his reports from his agent 'Sai' as he sipped some tea. According to him, Sasuke harbored deep thoughts. Thoughts that, if these reports weren't false, threatened Konoha's safety. Going in further, the goals that the 'last Uchiha' strived for wasn't on the same wavelength in terms of the growth and prosperity of his ideal Konoha.

The old war hawk scoffed as he sipped more tea. Itachi was one of the few geniuses born every generation that truly defined how a shinobi acted. No matter how many root agents he crafted. No matter how many he trained and molded to his likings, they would never reach that potential. This was one of the few moments where he wished Orochimaru hadn't defected.

"Danzo-sama, our scouts have brought us urgent news that requires your attention."

Danzo looked up from his desk and focused his blank expression on his subordinate. "Report."

"Sir, the Kyuubi jinchuriki has been spotted in the western forests between Konoha and Taki no Kuni(Waterfall Country)."

Had any other leader learn that their lost jinchuriki was found, an immediate uproar would have commenced. But in Danzo's case, he remained poker faced and contemplated this info. In reality, there was no need to contemplate this info. The obvious order didn't need to be spoken. Still, "Is there any sign of Konoha shinobi in that general area?"

"No, sir."

The time is ripe. "Then relay this command to Torune at once: assemble the capture squad and apprehend the Kyuubi post haste. This mission is top priority and mustn't reach the ears of Hiruzen."

"Yes, sir!"

Once his agent left, Danzo finished what was left of his tea. To this day, Hiruzen still earned his respect. Though his ideals questionable, his service to the expanding leaf couldn't be overlooked. Konoha still stood as the strongest village in all of Elemental Nations. But even the one known as the Professor and Shinobi no Kami(God of Shinobi) still made mistakes. This was one of his most fatal mistakes. If only Hiruzen saw the boy as the weapon he was made to be, Konoha would have been ready to extend her reaches further.

Not now. With the Kyuubi jinchuriki up for grabs and out of Hiruzen's hair, he would make no mistakes. For the sake of a better Konoha, Danzo wouldn't dare make that mistake.

* * *

"Ahhh! That's fine sake right there!" Lounging in a restaurant in Otafuku Gai, Tsunade sighed in content as she helped herself to some high quality sake. Surprisingly, she was in a good mood today for no particular reason. In fact, these past couple of days somehow made her smile for no other reason than just because. Hell, she didn't even gamble in the casinos yet and she felt like a million ryo! Grinning like a madwoman, Tsunade decided on what to do later.

Now if only her sweet student could bask in her good mood as well. Looking at said woman, Tsunade noted how Shizune absently rubbed Ton-Ton's head as she looked out the window.

"What's with the sour look, Shizune?"

"Nothing, Tsunade-sama."

Bullshit. "Really now? Cause I'm telling you that sour look doesn't look right on that cute face of yours."

Shizune had a tinge of red on her cheeks at the compliment but her expression didn't change. "Really, Tsunade-sama. It's nothing at all."

"Oi!"

Even Ton-Ton knew that answer was bullshit. Narrowing her brown eyes, Tsunade made a noise of thought for a moment before a mischievous grin stretched on her face. "You miss your blonde boyfriend, don't you?"

THAT got a reaction. Shizune's face turned comical as her eyes widened, jaw opened wide and face an even brighter shade of red. "T-Tsunade-sama!"

"It all makes sense now! You started acting like this went he left a few days ago." She leaned forward with that grin stretching more. "And let's not forget your _major_ crush on Minato…"

"D-do you hear yourself, Tsunade-sama? Minato-kun and Naruto-kun are two different people!"

Tsunade let out a rather un-lady like snort. "Aside from their personalities, what's different about them? They're both blond, got blue eyes, tan skin, use Fuinjutsu, am I missing anything?"

"Well-"

"Then again, I don't blame you. If I was a few years younger, I would've ensnared Minato in my grasp as well. I could say the same for his son…"

Shizune was about to reply when a familiar voice beat her to it. "What's this,Tsu-hime? Talking about men and not even mentioning my name?"

The owner of the voice made his presence known when he slid into the seat next to Tsunade and snatched some of her sake.

"Jiraiya-sama!"

"Jiraiya? The hell are you doing here?"

Said man tossed her a dashing smile. "I was deprived of seeing your beauty for too long, hime." His eyes lowered to her bountiful chest. "Too long…"

Being accustomed to his perverted behavior, Tsunade just reached for her sake and poured more in her glass. "How sweet. Now really, why are you here? I thought you were looking for our bastard teammate?"

Jiraiya instantly put on his serious face and leaned back in his seat. "I was. But I haven't been getting many leads on him. But I have been hearing about some new village that popped in Ta no Kuni(Land of Rice Paddies). They call it Otogakure(Village Hidden by Sound) apparently." Jiraiya took a shot once he finished.

"Otogakure?"

Tsunade snorted. "What's next? Their leader calling themselves a Kage?"

Jiraiya shrugged while he nonchalantly put an arm around his former teammate. "Beats me. But I plan to check it out among other things?"

Slapping the arm away and ignoring the grown man's pout, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Among other things?"

"Yeah. I'm still looking for Minato's brat, you know?" After saying that, he heard Shizune gasp and look out the window with a hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"What?"

"Funny you mention him. Shizune and I actually ran in to him the other day." Tsunade almost brought the glass to her lips but Jiraiya quickly stopped her.

"_What?"_

"You heard me, lecher. We ran into the brat the other day." The busty blonde chuckled as she remembered him. "He's definitely Kushina's kid."

"Why didn't you stop him?!"

"Why didn't we, Tsunade-sama?"

Seeing two pairs of eyes on her, Tsunade looked out of the window. It was a great day outside. "I'm not obligated to do anything for that village anymore. Its sensei's problem if he can't keep a leash on his legacies."

Jiraiya almost lashed out at her but decided not to and instead stood up from his seat and prepared to leave. "Which direction did he leave?" Tsunade didn't answer him. "Tsunade?" Still no answer.

"He left in the northwestern direction, Jiraiya-sama."

Even though he nodded at Shizune's answer, he still stared at his former teammate as she stared at the passing people.

Eventually, he turned around and parted with one final statement. "Sensei did make a huge mistake this time. But I'm going to fix it." Jiraiya walked out the restaurant. But nobody heard his last remark.

"Because my mistake is bigger than his."

* * *

Naruto looked down at the raging waterfalls atop a cliff with an unreadable expression on his face. Last he checked his map; he was near the border of Taki no Kuni. If these waterfalls were any indication, the border was close and he would cross it anytime soon. As an adventurer, he should be excited at a new landscape to look at and be 100% positive about visiting this land's capital.

But the Kyuubi's words from earlier cut deeper than he thought. The blond knew his internal partner meant well in its own way but….his upbringing was always such a sore subject.

Especially when he was reminded of his former goals. Since he didn't have the spirit to go anywhere yet, especially since he didn't have any schedule to follow, Naruto sat on the cliff with his left knee propped up for his arm to rest on and let his memories wash over him. No pun intended considering the location.

* * *

"_Jiji, keeping that hat warmed up for me?" Let it be known that when Uzumaki Naruto wanted his presence known, he did it loudly._

_The Sandaime Hokage of Konoha raised his head from reading paperwork and smiled at his surrogate grandson. "Maybe, maybe not." He chuckled when he saw the young boy pout and cross his arms. "What can I do for you today, Naruto-kun?"_

_Uncrossing his arms and getting comfortable in his seat, Naruto squinted his eyes as he tried to formulate his response. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and nodded once. "Jiji, remember when you talked about the different shinobi styles? Like Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu?"_

"_That's right. Aren't you learning more about them in the academy, Naruto-kun?"_

_A frown crept on the youth's face. "Well yeah but the Academy is boring! You explain it ten times better, jiji!"_

_Sarutobi chuckled at the boy's plight. "Be that as it may, it's essential for all growing shinobi to grasp the concepts at the Academy. I can only give you a rough summary of the arts and let the teachers pick it up from there." Seeing the boy cross his arms again, Sarutobi got to the point. "But why don't you tell me what's bothering you and I'll see what I can do."_

_Remembering why he came in the first place, Naruto sat forward while rocking his little legs in the air. "Well I was wondering….are there other styles that shinobi use?"_

_Sarutobi blinked. "What do you mean by that, Naruto-kun?"_

_Naruto closed his eyes again in his 'thinking' mode. "You know, like other ways a shinobi kicks butt. Like, running super-fast or flying or shooting chakra out of her hands or…"_

"_Let me stop you right there, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi almost chuckled at the boy's imagination. To be young and innocent…."Most of the things you just said fall under Ninjutsu. And even then, not many shinobi can accomplish those feats." Sarutobi knew of shinobi who could out-speed _anyone(_his former successor_), _fly with no trouble(__Ryotenbin no Onoki(Onoki of Both Scales__)). He didn't know about the last one for the life of him but…"Though if you're talking about different shinobi techniques than the standard three, yes there are others."_

_Naruto's eyes shined at the answer. "Really? Can you tell me, jiji?"_

_Sarutobi sat back in his chair and got comfortable. "Isn't that what the academy is for, Naruto-kun?"_

_Naruto jumped out the chair and got on his knees with both hands brought together in front of his face. "Please tell me, Jiji! As a future kickass Hokage, I need to know! I'll do anything!"_

_Sarutobi blinked again and stared at the walls of his office. 'I wonder if my ANBU enjoy these sessions just as much as I do?' He almost chuckled at the thought before looking at the boy that reminded him too much of his mother. 'It's as if Kushina's very soul was reborn within Minato's body from the beginning.' Shaking his head, Sarutobi folded his hands and addressed the blond. "Yes, Naruto-kun. There are many different arts and combat styles that shinobi can pick up if the standard three doesn't entertain their fancy. For example, there is Kenjutsu which is the art of swordsmanship. Samurai under the employment of a Daimyo and those who reside in __Tetsu no Kuni(Iron Country)__ practice this particular art. Bojutsu is the art of wielding a staff weapon such as a long pole or a bo-staff." Sarutobi let a proud smirk crawl on his lips. "Part of my skillset is invested in this particular style. Let's say it played a part in me becoming Hokage." He finished that with a wink. _

_Naruto's eyes even brighter. "That's so cool, jiji! Is there more styles?!"_

_Another one immediately came to mind but Sarutobi wasn't sure whether to inform Naruto of this one. This one in particular was considered the most difficult shinobi art for a reason. Even though he was regarded as the Professor, Sarutobi could only touch the surface of that particular study. But two things made him cave in._

_The first was the fact that he owed it to the boy's ancestors to tell their newest kin of their greatest accomplishment. The second…_

_The blond looked at him with unyielding trust. So much that it both pleased and ached his old heart. There were many things that Naruto should be aware of but until he was mature enough to handle the information, such details would remain a secret. But at the very least…_

"_There is, Naruto-kun. There is this one art in particular that most shinobi, including myself, never truly grasped and understood to its full extent." He knew he had the boy reeled in by the widening of his eyes. "It's called Fuinjutsu, Naruto-kun. The art of sealing. This particular art focuses on sealing objects, living beings, chakra and other things into another object."_

"_Sealing something…into another object?"_

"_Yes." Reaching into his desk and taking a piece of paper, he dipped a brush into a jar of ink and wrote in fluent strokes. Naruto watched with rapt attention and traced every movement, every stroke with his eyes. Once Sarutobi finished, he pulled out a kunai from his robes and placed it on top of his construct. "Watch this." Forming a quick seal, Sarutobi spiked his chakra and the kunai in front of him disappeared in a smoke._

"_Wow! What did you do, jiji?"_

_Sarutobi smiled. "I simply drew a storage seal that allowed me to place the kunai inside whenever I need it." Spiking his chakra again, Sarutobi watched the kunai from before reappear again. "Most shinobi can understand this much when it comes to Fuinjutsu. But once you understand the more advanced concepts, the possibilities are endless."_

_Naruto was positively amazed at this point. If he understood Jiji correctly, then he would be able to store endless amounts of ramen into a piece of paper whenever he wanted to._

_The advanced stuff probably meant that he would be able to store a _MILLION _bowls of ramen at once._

_He had to learn more about this._

"_Can you tell me more about this Fuinjutsu stuff, jiji?"_

_Sarutobi sighed softly as he put away the kunai and the piece of paper. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. That's all I can tell you right now."_

"_Awwwww….." _

_Sarutobi eyed the paperwork on his desk. "As much as I don't want to, I have to get back to work. If I have time later, I'll treat you to ramen. How does that sound, Naruto-kun?"_

"_Yeah….." With that, Naruto hopped off of his chair and slowly walked out of the room. _

* * *

"Heheh. I still haven't sealed one million ramen bowls yet…" The blond's voice was but a whisper in the wind. Blue eyes continued to look at the waterfalls below. Leave it to nature to create a scene that was absolutely serene. Waterfalls didn't have to dream about being a supreme leader or kicking ass. It just…was and forever is.

Naruto's silent contemplation was cut when instincts screamed at him to jump out of the way. Good thing he did because his former spot was occupied by a handful of kunai.

"What the-?" Naruto gasped when several figures surrounded him on the cliff. They all wore dark colored cloaks that covered their forms with animal masks adorning their faces. The only one that stood out was the lone figure in a white cloak standing on a branch. "Who are you guys?"

"Uzumaki Naruto." Blue eyes laid on the 'leader' standing on the branch. "We're giving you this one chance to surrender and come with us quietly. Failure to comply…" All around him, Naruto saw his foes draw tantos from their person and wielded them in a ready stance. "Will result to us being forced to take action."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and reached for a kunai in his holster. "Heh. Surrender?" He pointed at the leader with a fierce grin on his face. "Uzumaki Naruto doesn't know the meaning of surrender! So you can shove your orders up your collective asses, dattebayo!"

The 'leader' responded by raising his hand in a silent signal. Then, every cloaked individual dashed forward with their tantos pointed forward. Naruto went airborne before the small swords clashed with him. Once he touched the ground again, Naruto met two foes and parried their strikes with his kunai. The movements were quick but Naruto could handle them easily. Soon, two more agents joined the fray and tried to attack the blond from behind. Sensing this, Naruto parried the next tanto strike with his foot and pushed down on it as leverage to jump forward. Still in the air, Naruto wrapped an explosive tag around his kunai and threw it at the four individuals.

Touching the ground, Naruto couldn't turn around at look at the casualties because two more adversaries engaged him. More tanto strikes were dodged as Naruto tried to form a plan. Amidst this, tiny creatures crawled out of the cloaks and latched on to Naruto. Slowly but surely, they administered their poison on to his skin. Still unaware, Naruto grabbed the wrist of one of his adversaries and twisted it. Pushing him out of the way, Naruto dealt with the other one by sticking his right leg forward and swept it across the other's legs. While they were still in the air, Naruto punched the foe with aggression and watched him collide into a tree.

Turning around, Naruto saw the same four foes come out of the explosion relatively unscathed aside from a few tears on their cloaks. Behind him, the same two jumped into position and prepared themselves again. "Tch. Stubborn guys…" Deciding to use one of his seals to deal with this, Naruto reached for a scroll…and gasped when his body felt numb. "W-what?" Dropping to his knees, Naruto couldn't stop his body from shaking at the numb feeling. 'The heck is going on?!'

"It's seems even poison can work on a jinchuriki." The 'leader' jumped down from the tree and walked forward. "Took longer than I expected but all the same, mission complete." With that, all of the agents wrapped chakra wire around Naruto.

'Get up, Naruto!'

'I'm trying but my body won't listen to me!'

Kyuubi cursed at the situation. Normal poison wouldn't work because her chakra would immediately react to it and flush it out of the body. For this type of poison to even have a chance of stopping Naruto's body functions…

Time for desperate matters.

'Naruto! Use my chakra!'

'Kyu?'

'I refuse to let my host get captured like this! If you have to use my chakra in order to vanquish these trash, then so be it!'

As Naruto's arms were secured and tightened, he tried to think of another option. Another way to get out of this predicament.

….he didn't. His arms wouldn't respond, his legs wouldn't move.

He had no choice.

'Fine. But only give me a tails worth! That's all I'll need.' Kyuubi acknowledged and soon Naruto's entire body was enveloped with bubbling red chakra. As a result, Naruto's whiskers became darker and his eyes turned blood red with slits in the middle.

Now finally aware of the change of the charge, all of the Root agents watched as the feral blonde tear through the chakra wire with a roar.

"So that's the Kyuubi's chakra…"

Just as Danzo-sama told him before, the clearing became encased with an oppressive aura as the chakra gave off massive killing intent.

When Naruto stood up again, he looked straight at Torune. "You're going to regret fucking around with me."

* * *

Jiraiya leaped through the trees at a fast pace. He came across a small village on the way and questioned them about Naruto. To his surprise, he learned that shinobi from the new village came here and wanted some flower that was said to cure any parasitic disease. He filed that at the back of his head when he learned that Naruto kicked them all of out and saved them. Once he learned where the blond disappeared to, Jiraiya picked up the pace to see if he could catch up.

That's when he felt a chill go down his spine.

'This killing intent. It can't be…' Hoping to be proven wrong, Jiraiya picked up his speed and hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

Carnage. That was the one word that described the entire scene.

Bodies were whimpering around the clearing as blood was leaking from ugly claw wounds.

And the only moving entities were the mysterious foe cloaked in white and the blond covering in red chakra. The latter was trying to dash forward and claw the former but numerous bug spheres were launched at him and hindered his progress.

Torune tried to subdue the jinchuriki with his insects but it proved to be more trouble than it was worth. The best option right now was to assemble his men and organize a retreat. But how to ward his enemy off…looks like he would have to try that approach.

Reaching into his cloak, Torune wrapped an explosive note around a spare tanto and directed his kikachu to force Naruto towards the edge of the cliff. Seeing that his plan was about to fail, he quickly threw the kunai towards the edge and watched it explode on the already unstable surface. His plan paid off.

Naruto fell off the edge.

* * *

"Ahh! It's a perfect day, ssu~"

'You're awfully excited today. Then again, I don't blame you.'

In the forests of Taki no Kuni, a young girl with mint hair and caramel skin breathed in the smell of nature with a smile on her face. The birds chirped, the bugs crawled, and squirrels foraged for nuts.

She loved his atmosphere. The girl preferred this over her home any day.

'Fu! Don't you feel that?'

The girl known as Fu stopped in her tracks. 'Feel what, Chomei?'

'That chakra. It feels familiar to mine.'

'Now that you mention it…' Running forward, Fu came to one of the streams and gasped in horror at what she saw.

A blonde, with torn clothes and blood flowing from his head, floated down the stream lifelessly.

* * *

**Not all Naruto fights last as long as you believe. Anyways, thanks one again for the growing support. 55 followers, 37 favoriies, 23 reviews and 3 communities. **

**To those who are curious about Naruto's skillset, I will say this. He WON'T be using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu in this story. Nope. No Kage Bunshin, no Rasengan, no wind jutsu. His skillset is custom Fuinjutsu, weapons and his chakra taijutsu style. Yup, going for something new. No God!Naruto here.**

**Please keep watching this story. It'll get better eventually. (These chapters will get cleaned up later.) Criticism is gold.**


	11. Connecting with Females

Jiraiya cursed as he looked at the scene before him. The clearing looked absolutely horrible with multiple trees de-rooted, craters on the ground and claw marks craved into nature itself. He certainly seen worse in his time so this didn't faze him much. Not even the lingering chakra threw him off guard.

But it didn't suppress his curiosity. If Minato's brat did all this, then where was he? And who did he fight?

Did the other nations already find out that there was a loose jinchuriki and sent their forces?

Rather than worry about those things, Jiraiya searched the area for any sign of his student's son.

* * *

"Team 7 reporting for duty, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi looked at the four individuals in front of him with an unreadable gaze for a while. Out of all the rookie teams from this year's Genin graduates, Team 7…worried him the most.

Haruno Sakura didn't concern him that much. Coming from a civilian family, she didn't exhibit any particular skills that made her stand out. But from the academy reports and Kakashi's observation, the pink haired girl was very knowledgeable when it came to the basic shinobi concepts. And her chakra control was remarkable for a girl her age. Considering her reserves weren't spectacular it was understandable but if polished well enough, talents only a select few shinobi could master would be simple for her to grasp.

Sai…rubbed him the wrong way. Orphan from a very young age just like most children due to the business. Yet…there were no records on this particular boy until recently. How this one escaped the notice of the orphanage puzzled him. But Sarutobi had a hunch of this boy's history. The emotionless gaze on his pale face just spelled the works of his former teammate.

Those two didn't compare to the final member of Team 7. Uchiha Sasuke.

Sarutobi hid a sad frown on his face as he looked at the smooth face of the raven haired beauty. She looked so much like her mother in her youth. Yet, she didn't act as graceful or refined. No, those onyx eyes hid emotions that were a danger to everyone around her. Anger, confidence, pride.

Hatred.

Once again, Sarutobi cursed the horrible fate of the Uchiha. Their history was never looked upon as blessed and nothing but tragedy struck most of their very beings. Sarutobi could have consoled the young Uchiha and showed her the necessary warmth needed for her childhood. But the role of Hokage doesn't grant one much free time.

Not to mention he still grieved for failing his successor.

"What will it be today, Kakashi?"

Kakashi made a humming noise before he came to a conclusion. "I figured since we did so well on the last C-ranked mission, we would tackle another one. Just to keep the momentum going."

"Another one, eh? Very well." Sarutobi fished through his box and found one.

"This one should be simple enough. The leader of Takigakure has finished his negotiations with us and needs an escort back to his village."

Kakashi looked at his students and saw all three nod their heads. "We accept." Kakashi closed his book with a snap and addressed his Genin. "Meet up at the western gate in 2 hours. Pack enough supplies for a one week journey."

* * *

Before deciding to head back to her home to prepare for the next mission, Sasuke decided to take a bit of a detour. This led her to walk the streets of Konoha and become a part of the crowd. The highways bustled with activity as civilians walked the streets gossiping about the latest trends, vendors rigorously selling their goods, shinobi leaping across the rooftops as they're way of getting around. And the leaves of the trees around the village had no resistance for the wind blowing against them.

Sasuke looked at her surroundings…and bowed her head while simultaneously clenching her fists a bit. It always pained her to look at the village like this. Despite harboring some hatred for this village, Sasuke….felt lonely.

All she had to do was look at some of the other girls in the village. Whether it be around her age or a few years younger. Hell, walking right in front of her was a daughter chatting amiably with her mother with the latter smiling at how active and innocent the former was. A quick look behind her showed some civilian girls giggling at some random thing. Probably boys or some trend.

Sasuke looked down and her hands and saw them shaking. She wasn't scared. Far from it. But she did feel anger….and a small bit of jealously.

The last Uchiha of Konoha didn't feel comfortable here.

Deciding to get away from everything, Sasuke jumped on the nearest rooftop and didn't stop until she came to a training ground.

Like her training ground, the scenery involved many trees that adapted to the current season, calm winds that tickled the skin and vines that protruded from the ground to ensnare you….

Wait a minute.

Looking all around her, Sasuke noted that the environment changed from a clearing to a smaller space between a batch of trees and their branches and roots crawled near her in a slow but frightening manner. Looking down, Sasuke noted that a vine made contact with her leg and wrapped around it and continued to ascend her body. Sasuke had to admit that she should be concerned for her own being in this case. The vine felt thick enough that a simple choke hold around her neck would kill her. Or the pointy branches would pierce her midsection and kill her that way.

Alas, Genjutsu of this magnitude wasn't enough to even _faze_ her.

Flaring her chakra, Sasuke dispelled the illusion and her eyes saw the dissolvent of the enclosed space to the clearing she saw before. Her moment of clarity didn't last long as she quickly deflected an array of shuriken with a hastily drawn kunai. Coal eyes combed the deceptively empty clearing until she saw a kunai flying at her from her right. That kunai clashed with her thrown one with a pang in the air. While the kunai spun in the air, a figure dashed to her in a burst of speed and threw a fist. Sasuke reacted by grabbling that fist and slapping away the other. She lashed out with her foot and was rewarded with a parry via her opponent's forearm block. But seeing the cringe made her smirk. Using that momentum, Sasuke tightened the hold on her opponent's fist and pulled forward. At the last moment, her foe Shunshin'd away from her and massaged their hands.

Both adversaries stared at each other with blank faces still in their battle stances.

"Hmph. Sharp as always, Uchiha."

Sasuke scoffed. "Your Genjutsu was noticeable from the start. I didn't need these eyes to see that." She crossed her arms. "And your Taijutsu still needs work…Yakumo."

The brunette snorted as she relaxed her stance and picked up her shuriken from the ground. Yakumo wore a pink kimono with two pockets in the front held by a sash and red mesh armor underneath. Baggy violet pants covered her lower half that also had mesh armor underneath with orange sandals. Her long hair was straight on one side and in a braid on the other with a clip in it.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were on some mission outside of Konoha."

"I was." Sasuke raised her head and looked in the sky. "Aside from some thugs and low-level missing nin, it wasn't eventful. Did manage to take down a crime lord though."

Yakumo scoffed again. "Didn't you have fun." Once she picked up all of her shuriken, she aimed at a target and threw them one by one. "And how's your plan on killing your sensei?"

Sasuke stared at her hands before closing her eyes and leaning back on a tree. "I still have a long way to go. But now that I have these eyes…"

"Yes, yes. Your precious Sharingan." Thunk.

"Since were on the topic of killing senseis, how goes your plan to kill Kurenai?"

Thunk! "I'm working on it." Yakumo's mood immediately became sour when the red eyed Jonin was mentioned. She was supposed to mold her into a Genjutsu prodigy just like her. To possibly bring more credit to the illustrious art alongside her. But no. Her kekkei genkai was too _dangerous. _That bitch thought she couldn't control her power.

THUNK!

"Really? Then I'll throw my words at you. You have a long way to go. With those skills-"

"Stuff it, Uchiha." Thunk! "I don't need you to spell it out for me."

"Just making sure you understood. The one ally I have doesn't need to be reckless."

Yakumo actually paused and brought her arm down to stare at Sasuke. "Ally?"

Sasuke opened her coal orbs. "Believe it or not, you're the only one I can consider as some sort of ally." She couldn't call Yakumo a friend because their meetings always had tension in the air. But they at least respected each other enough to acknowledge their growth and skill.

Yakumo held her gaze for a while before aiming another shuriken. "I don't know whether to feel honored or cautious…"

Sasuke kicked herself off the tree. "Believe what you want. But I won't lie when I say that our situations are similar in a sense." With that, Sasuke left the training ground with one last statement. "I would rather have an ally than no one at all."

Yakumo stood there by herself once again. Those words played in her head for a while. Ally…

A ghost of a smile appeared on the brunette's face before she hid it and continued her training.

* * *

'Why is it so dark?' Eyelids fluttered as blue eyes opened to the world around them. From what they could see, the current location was a room of some sort. Or was a room a proper way to describe the area?

Naruto sat up from a comfortable hammock as he clutched his head and rubbed it to ease the headache he felt coming on. 'Wait…' Looking down, Naruto saw the silk hammock and felt the smooth texture with his fingers. 'I don't remember having a hammock…' The blond brought his head up and looked around this setting. He couldn't help but notice that the room was made of wood from surrounding trees. Good quality if his eyes weren't fooling him. In fact, the wood smelled liked the woods he traveled in for the past years. It eased his mind but he was still a bit wary. In fact, there was a window with a picture frame on it…

Before he could decipher it, the front door opened and his eyes immediately locked on to a girl humming a cheery tune as she hefted a bag over her shoulder. It was until she closed the door and put the bag down that she noticed her guest was watching.

The mysterious girl wore a sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets and fishnet shorts under a short white apron skirt. Her hair was spiky(not like Naruto) and mint green in color with an orange clip in it that match her orange eye color. She also wore a forehead protector that had a symbol akin to a downward arrow without the point.

Both occupants stared at each other for what seemed like forever.

The girl made a noise of surprise before she smiled. "You woke up faster than I thought, ssu~…"

Naruto blinked. "Uhh…." He unconsciously rubbed the back of his head. "I…uh….don't know I got here…"

The girl giggled at his unconformable demeanor. "Of course you wouldn't, silly. You were knocked out when I found you floating on the nearby river." She frowned. "You were bleeding from a head wound. What happened?"

Head wound? That explained the bandages on his head and the headache. "I fought some guys that ambushed me on the cliff. Considering I'm still alive, I guess I warded them off." His memory was a bit hazy but he did remember fighting some guys in cloaks. Who were they? Did they work for anybody?

Did they belong to jiji?

"Is that so? Well, you don't need to worry about anyone ambushing you now. This part of the forest is special in the fact that it's in a dislocated part of Taki no Kuni." The girl also winked at him. "Not to mention I would know when someone comes into my forest, ssu~"

"Your forest?"

"Yup." The girl carried the bag over to Naruto and opened it to reveal some freshly picked fruits and nuts. "Since I was a little girl, I lived in these forests. It practically takes care of me like I take care of it." She picked out a rather juicy looking apple and held it in front of him. "Here. You must be hungry since you slept all day."

Naruto gently took the apple from her hands and took a bite out of it. His eyes widened and took another bite out of it. "This is the ripest apple I've ever tasted, dattebayo." He flashed the girl his foxy grin. "Thanks!"

The girl giggled again as she accepted the thanks and took out a mix of grapes and nuts to eat. "By the way, what's your name? I'm Fu."

Swallowing the contents in his mouth, Naruto smiled at her. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you and thanks again for taking care of me while I was knocked out."

"No problem." Fu smiled. "I don't know why but you feel…familiar to me."

"Familiar?"

"It's nothing." Fu watched the blonde shrug and let him pick out another apple to munch on. 'He seems nice. Don't you think so, Choumei?' No answer. 'Choumei?'

'He is more than I expected.'

'What's does that mean?'

The inner demon chuckled. 'Time will answer your question, Fu dear.'

'Awww. Do you have to tease me like this, ssu~'

Ignoring her partner's chuckling, Fu watched Naruto shove more food down his throat and smiled. 'At least he doesn't look like a mean person.'

Meanwhile, Kyuubi looked at this scene and only had one thought race in her mind. 'So that's Choumei's host, huh?'

* * *

"So what where you doing before you got ambushed?"

Once Fu told Naruto of the village she came from, he decided to go there in order to stock up on some supplies and check it out. After all, the name Takigakure(Village in the Waterfalls) sounded interesting by itself.

"I was…traveling. I go all over the place and check out the sights, dattebayo."

"Really?

"Yup. I'm an adventurer, after all."

"An adventurer?" Fu blinked twice before she smiled with brightened eyes. "Wow….you must have seen so many landmarks and walked through a lot of forests, ssu~"

"You bet! And every town I go through, I wind up in some crazy event that eventually leads me to kicking some ass and taking some names, dattebayo!"

She couldn't help herself after hearing that so Fu let the dam break and exploded in laughter. Naruto grinned at Fu while she held her sides and had tears come to her eyes. Man, was he good.

It wasn't too long until Fu composed herself and wiped the tears away. "You're funny, Naruto."

"I aim to please, dattebayo."

"That so?" Fu leaned in so her face was closer to Naruto. "Since you're coming to my home village, will I get wrapped in your 'crazy events'?"

Naruto just smiled and walked with both hands behind his head. "Who knows? I can't control then, Fu-chan. They just happen."

Fu formed a cute pout on her lips. "Awww. I'd do anything to get involved in some 'crazy event', ssu~"

Before Naruto replied, he looked into the distance and saw some specks in the scenery. "Are those people?"

Following his eyesight, Fu put a hand over eyes and squinted them. What she saw made her smile wide. "Shibuki-kun!"

Naruto saw her run forward to meet the people and followed her with some caution. After all, those cloak guys from before could come and try to finish their jobs. Well if they did, then they would fail again. Such is the awesome entity that was-

Naruto froze in place and felt his blood run cold.

Konoha shinobi.

'_Screw you, Konoha! I'm done with you forever!'_

Naruto saw Fu chatting with a boy with ink black eyes and dark brown hair wearing a green shirt, grey pants and ninja sandals. Then she turned around and waved at him.

That's when they turned their heads at him. Or they thought they did but he quickly dove for the bushes and slapped a suppression tag on his arm. Fu told the group to go ahead, probably into the village, and ran forward to meet up with him.

"Naruto! Naruto!" Fu scratched her head. "Where did he-ahh!"

Once she came next to the bush, Naruto pulled Fu inside and covered her mouth.

"Shh." Naruto quickly peeked out from the bush and saw the road was clear of people. "Listen carefully, Fu-chan. I hid from everyone because Konoha is looking for me." Naruto saw Fu widen her eyes. "I'll explain later but for right now, they can't know I'm here."

When Naruto removed his gloved hand from Fu's mouth, she adopted a worried expression. "What will you do, then?"

Naruto closed in eyes in deep thought for a moment before opening them and taking out his Fuinjutsu supplies. "I have an idea…."

* * *

"So this is Takigakure…"

Clad in his new disguise, Naruto checked out the new village with Fu stared at him saying "How did he do that?"

His overall appearance didn't change much aside from his hair color changing from sunny blonde to red with having two long bangs framing his face that had a black color at the tips. Personally, she preferred his blonde colored hairstyle. It added to both his appearance and personality.

The demon inside of him felt the complete opposite however.

The hidden village acted like any other. The civilians carried on with their tasks like any other and shinobi briskly walked the streets protecting them. He noted that the houses were temple like in appearance with triangle roofs and sliding doors. And these houses were surrounded by a lake of water coming from outside the village.

What really drew his eyesight was the hugest tree he saw in his life.

He was about to ask Fu about that when he felt saw her smile becoming a bit forced. He could tell because fake smiles and grins was something he wore for the majority of his life.

One look at the populace answered his silent question.

Murderous, angry gazes were directed at her. They gave them a wide berth, whispered harsh rumors and threats with her name in them and shinobi twitched their fingers in response to their instincts. This was too similar to his situation back in Konoha.

'_I don't know why but you feel…familiar to me_.'

'Fu-chan…are you…'

"You two."

A cool voice stopped both jinchuriki in their tracks and heads turned to one of the Konoha shinobi from before. This one wore a blue shirt with a high collar and arm warmers. White shorts with bandages wrapped around the shins and blue sandals adorned the lower body.

What drew Naruto was the fair skinned face that had sharp onyx eyes and raven colored hair.

'Is that…Sasuke?'

"Hey you." Sasuke walked forward. "Were you the presence I sensed before?"

"What presence?"

Sasuke looked at Fu's confused expression. "Before my team and I entered this village, she came to us and made her presence known. But at the same time, there was someone else." Sasuke narrowed her eyes at the disguised blond. "Furthermore, your chakra signature feels….familiar."

Naruto looked at Fu with the latter shrugging. "I don't know how you came up with that conclusion considering we've never met before."

Sasuke briefly activated her Sharingan to analyze the redhead before her. His chakra looked normal….if a bit off. More than off exactly. It's like…some aura was surrounding him…

Definitely not normal.

Sasuke scoffed and turned around. "Whatever. You're not even worth my time anyway."

What did she just say? "Hey! Care to repeat that?"

Sasuke stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around. "I said you're not worth my time. To an Uchiha, you're just like the rest of the trash I see every day."

Oh hell no! Looks like someone needs to get their ass whooped! "Why don't prove it then, Uchiha-_hime_? Though maybe you shouldn't since your royal ass might get ruffed up a bit, dattebayo! " Two seconds later, Naruto realized his mistake and covered his mouth. Darn his reflexive habit of saying his verbal tic when excited.

Sasuke quickly turned around and stared wide eyed at Naruto. "What did you just say?"

Shit. "Uh…uh…I said I'll wipe the floor with ya, don'tcha know?" Naruto berated himself on the inside for coming up with a lame comeback.

Sasuke narrowed her eyes at the boy. Only one person in her whole life used to say that all the time. That one boy in particular who used to go to the academy with her and actually made her smile when he wasn't looking.

The only boy that made her life in Konoha tolerable.

Sasuke stepped forward. "Hey, do you-"Her sentence was interrupted when an explosion was heard through the village and ground shook in response.

All heads turned to the smoke that in the direction of Shibuki's office.

* * *

**I hate college. That's all I will say for how late this came. Mind's so jumbled that I'm surprised this turned out decent. Until the semester ends, updates will be a bit sparse. **

**Criticism is gold. **


	12. For a glass of water?

_Moments before the explosion…_

"Sasuke has wandered off, I see…" Kakashi made it sound like his student's uninformed departure was meaningless and non-rule breaking. But to Sakura and Sai, who bore witness to many confrontations between their aloof sensei and the raven haired kunoichi, that tone was all too familiar.

Someone was going to be punished.

"As expected of Konoha shinobi, you guys certainly get the job done efficiently." All heads turned to Shibuki who got comfortable in his chair and breathed in and out. "I cannot thank you enough for getting me here safely."

"The mission wasn't much so it's no problem."

Shibuki sighed again and turned to the windows in his office. "You guys can say that with no problem. For us, we have to exhibit more effort in order to keep up appearances. Especially when one of the Big 5, the strongest at that, overshadows you. Hell, I had to negotiate with Konoha in order to receive some of their mission requests." Shibuki stared at a picture of his father and smiled. "But that's what it means to be a leader. Putting the people and the village at the forefront of your duties."

Kakashi hummed before answering. "Well, with that mindset, you're already on the right track. Molding your village to be one of the best takes time and patience. Trust me; Konoha had her fair share of ups and downs despite its position. However, our people believe in the Hi no Ishi(Will of Fire). The unyielding belief that every Konoha shinobi must love, honor, and fight for the village as generations had before them."

Shibuki absorbed the veteran's words and chuckled mirthlessly. "No wonder the other villages call you guys 'tree huggers'."

Kakashi just crinkled his un-covered eye. "Well, that's why there not recognized as the strongest."

Before Shibuki could respond to that, a voice he thought he would never hear again sounded through the air. "So you've actually become the leader of this dump after all, Shibuki. My teachings weren't in vain after all."

Before the young leader could respond, the glass from his windows shattered and sharpened water made from chakra entered. All of the entrants Shunshin'd before the jutsu could ensnare them.

Now outside of the office, the group of four saw the entire village being attacked by a bunch of faceless grunts and houses being wrecked.

Shibuki focused on one person with widened eyes however. This man had long spiky hair, dark eyes and a goatee. Dress in a dark blue jacket, grey pants and a bandanna to keep his hair in place, the man exuded an air of confidence and strength. "Suien-sensei! It can't be!"

The now mentioned Suien grinned. "It is. I have come back to this shithole for one thing and thing alone." He leaned forward. "The Hero's Water."

Shibuki cursed and Sakura had a confused look on her face. "Hero's Water? What's that?"

Her sensei answered her. "The Hero's Water is a relic of Takigakure that is produced every one hundred years in this village. If one drinks it, their chakra increases ten-fold." Sai didn't say anything to that but inside he made a mental note for later.

"That's right. And once I have it in my hands, not even the Five Kages of the Elemental Nations can stop me!"

"You've fallen so low! Has your thirst for power done this?"

Suien sneered as his former student. "You still disgust me to this day. Now hand over the Hero's Water before this village meets its end here and now."

Shibuki bowed his head. If he wasn't the leader of the village his father loved so much, he would have run away because of his life being threatened. Hell, fear made his body shake and howl with the instincts of retreating. But, one person believed in him. Fu, who received all of the hate from his village for her burden, believed he could a great leader just like his father before him.

For that reason alone Shibuki refused to run. So he held his head up in a fierce glare and addressed his allies. "Konoha shinobi, I beg of you. Please help my people while I deal with this trash. I won't let Takigakure fall today."

Kakashi looked at Shibuki then at the continuing destruction of the village. Then looking at the emotionless face of Sai(still disturbed him a bit) and the anxious yet determined face of Sakura, he made his decision. "Very well. Sakura, aid the shinobi of this village and get the citizens to safety. Sai, you and I will deal with the enemy. If anyone one of you come across Sasuke, relay these orders to her: assist this village and detain the enemy. Understood?" After receiving affirmatives from his team, all except Shibuki and Suien left the area.

* * *

Sasuke looked at her opponent with a blank stare. When the leader's office was attacked, the tan colored girl left post haste with the mysterious redhead following her. Of course she gave chase but on her way to them, these random ninja came out of nowhere and closed off her route of travel. Two brazen shinobi thought she was easy pickings but two kunai strikes to the jugular got rid of them easily. Once the leader noticed her and saw what happened, he formed some whip that forced her to backflip lest it cut her skin. That led Sasuke to focus on the masked missing-nin with hair covering his left eye.

"You don't you know who you're messing with, little girl. You'll regret killing our forces."

"Hmph. I hear people who have those attitudes don't last long in this world." Sasuke stood in her Interceptor Style stance with her Sharingan activated. "Then again, I act like that as well. But I can get away with it because I'm simply _better_ than trash like you."

"Uchiha scum. Just for that, I sell what's left of your corpse to the wolves once I'm finished with you!"

"You're welcome to try." Sasuke formed hand seals at a quick pace. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!(Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)" A sphere of blazing fire spewed from Sasuke's mouth and headed towards the rogue ninja.

"That's nothing, brat! Suiton: Suiben!(Water Release: Water Whip!)" In an instant, a whip formed on the enemy's hand and canceled the fireball with little effort. "Katon jutsu is useless against me."

Sasuke blinked as her jutsu was rendered useless. So her fire techniques wouldn't cut it, huh? That's fine. It only gave her more reason to test her new jutsu anyway. With a plan in mind, Sasuke took out two shuriken and threw them before running towards her opponent. As expected, the metal stars were knocked out of the sky but it proved to be the distraction Sasuke needed to get in close range. Two punches were aimed to the face but her enemy dodged both of them and retaliated by performing a downwards chop. Sasuke twisted around that and formed more seals. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!(Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique!)" Sasuke's cheeks bulged until small balls of fire exited her mouth in different directions. Kirisame widened his eyes at the close proximity release of the jutsu and performed a hasty Kawarimi to get out of the way.

'Step 2.' Sasuke looked at her foe that stood near the edge of the lake.

"Bitch. Now I can't wait to vanquish the life outta ya! Suiton: Mizu Bushin no Jutsu!(Water Release: Water Clone Technique!)" Four copies of Kirisame rose from the water and formed water whips of their own.

Sasuke just scoffed and got into her Interceptor Fist stance. "Try to entertain me before you die."

* * *

"Hatake Kakashi. Or rather, Sharingan no Kakashi." Murasame felt confident as he and his men surrounded the Konoha Jonin on all sides. Getting the Hero's Water from this pathetic village and reaping the bounty of one of the world's most dangerous shinobi at the same time? One simply does not drop this opportunity. "Suien-sama was right after all. He would go so far as hire tree-huggers rather than take of business by himself."

If the silver haired cyclops showed any concern about his current situation, he hid it well. "Hmm…so someone should be ridiculed because they called for help? Goes to show that missing-nin have scum for comrades."

"Who needs friends? In this world, it's all about power." With a wave of his hand, Murasame commanded all three of his grunts to activate their water whips at the ready. Another signal made them crack their whips before sending them towards Kakashi's direction. The copy nin reacted by avoiding all three whips and appearing before one of the grunts and disabling them with a quick chop to the neck. The two other grunts got into Kakashi's personal space and dished out punches that looked amateurish. Weaving between five jabs and grabbing another fist, Kakashi twisted that hand and tossed the owner away while crouching low at the last moment to avoid a roundhouse kick. The grunt didn't see his next blow when a quick haymaker to the face crushed his nose. While the grunt was immobilized, Kakashi kicked him away and watched as they skidded across the water and drown once he stopped.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt water whips surround his midsection and trapped his arms.

"Heh. As expected of an A-class Jonin. But," Murasame tightened the hold on Kakashi. "Even someone like you can be taken down a peg." When the missing-nin went for the kill, he realized that the copy nin went up in smoke. "Kage Bushin?!" A second later, he coughed blood when he felt a hand pierce through his stomach."Wha-"

"If you know so much about an A-class Jonin, then you should've retreated when you had the chance." Watching the light go away from Murasame's eyes, Kakashi removed his hand and let the body fall to the ground. "Now then. Time to check up my cute Genin."

* * *

Sai remained expressionless when he flipped over two grunts and sliced the neck of another with his tanto. Quick hand seals were formed before his cheeks expanded and black ink was released from his mouth. Once those two grunts were blinded by the substance, he dashed forward and stabbed them in the midsection. Not wasting any more time, he turned around and faced the female responsible for his troubles. She was a tall, slim kunoichi light brown hair, blue earrings and a headband. She wore an open light green shirt that showed a pink tube top underneath wrapped around generous curves and navy pants with a holster strapped on the right leg.

"Is that all you got, cutie?" Hisame formed two whips from the surrounding lake and twirled them in the air. "It would be sad if you died before showing everything you got."

Sai only responded by taking out a scroll and scribbling on it with record speed. "Ninpo: Chouju Giga!(Ninja Art: Super Beast Imitation Drawing!)" From the scroll, three lion drawings appeared and roared before running towards the kunoichi. Hisame only laughed as she evaded all of their attempts with acrobatics and successful whip attacks. When the last one was cleared, she looked for the artist but only saw a clear spot.

Noticing a shadow in front of her, Hisame jumped before a snake drawing sunk its fangs into her flesh. But this was what Sai wanted as he appeared behind Hisame and sliced her neck off her shoulders without remorse.

Now that his battle was over, Sai observed his surroundings and saw that he killed all of his adversaries. Where most Genin would be traumatized at this carnage, Sai didn't feel anything. His master crafted him to be a tool that would be numb to such things and stay focused on completing the mission no matter what. Speaking of his master…

Sai quickly drew some mice and gave them specific orders. Once he saw them scurry away, he decided to help his ugly teammate in aiding the civilians.

* * *

Sasuke threw two more shuriken and leaped over another whip. Her Sharingan whirled as she anticipated her opponent's next move and dodged them both. Two more water clones fell to her kunai strikes and quick lighting covered chops shocked the remaining two.

Then out of nowhere, her neck was wrapped in a powerful vice by a water whip.

"Heheheh. That's it. I'll take great pleasure in choking the life out of ya!" Her opponent narrowed his eyes when he saw the smirk on her face. "What are you-" Kirisame blanched when 'Sasuke' faded from sight. "Genjutsu?" A lightened covered hand pierced through his chest as the real Sasuke frowned.

"The piercing power still isn't enough…" Absently, Sasuke removed her bloodied hand and burned the now dead corpse. She wasn't affected by the death she claimed today.

Itachi already made her numb to the harsh realities of life. Somewhat.

"Sasuke." Two Sharingan eyes stared at her sensei's somewhat disappointed gaze.

"What? They stood in my way."

Deciding not to argue with his wildcard of a student, Kakashi just sighed. "We will be talking about this later. Now we must provide aid to the people of this village."

Sasuke watched her sensei leave before spitting in the lake and leaping after him.

* * *

Shibuki cursed himself as he tried to catch his breath. He knew he should've trained more but his duties as Taki's leader made him worse. His former teacher still ran circles around him and it only dampened his mood. Not by much but…

"Still so pathetic." Ink black eyes looked at greedy dark ones. "I should've realized from the start that training you was a wasted effort." With a swipe of his hand, Suien formed a sword made of water that hardened as he grasped it. "Time to end this."

"Not yet!" Reaching into his gear, Shibuki pulled out a glass jar that contained sparkling water. "I'll bank on this!"

Suien widened his eyes. "The Hero's Water! You-"

Shibuki removed the cork and guzzled down half of the jar like a traveler who ventured the desert in desperate need for a drink. Once he stopped, Shibuki's body jolted before he felt more chakra enter his pathway system. "This power." Clenching his fists, he looked at Suien with a determined glare. "With this power, I'll defeat you here and now!"

"Just try and defeat me, you whelp!"

Performing a long stream of seals, Shibuki gathered all of his chakra and focused on his enemy. "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!(Water Release: Water Dragon Technique!) With all of the chakra he could muster, Shibuki summoned a large serpent made of water and made it head towards Suien.

The missing-nin response was ditching his water sword and performing a jutsu to counter it. "Suiton: Suijinheki!(Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!)" All around Suien, water shot up from the ground and surrounded him. When the water serpent clashed with it, the shield barely withstood its attack.

Shibuki dropped to his knees after performing his strongest jutsu. Even using the boost from the Hero's Water didn't help in the cost of using the Water Dragon Technique. Breathing heavily, he looked at where his opponent once was and saw the last bits of water pulled into the lake by gravity. 'Did I get him?'

His answer came when he felt something stab in his midsection. Shibuki coughed blood as he saw the Watercutting Sword sticking out.

"Still so weak." Suien removed the sword from Shibuki and kicked him away. He smiled cruelly when he saw the half full jar of Hero's Water at his feet. Once he reached down and picked it up, he looked at his fatally injured foe and walked to him while drawing the water sword again. "If you had just given me this in the first place, your death would have been avoided." Shibuki just glared. "Hmph. Doesn't matter. Time to end this."

"Shibuki-kun!"

Suien had his sword raised to strike but had to dodge an incoming fist of chakra and made distance. He sneered when he saw a redheaded boy glare at him and a familiar girl tend to Shibuki. "What's this? Taki's weapon of destruction actually befriended you, Shibuki?"

As Naruto's eyes widened, Fu glared at the missing-nin. "Suien! You actually have the nerve to return to this village?"

"Tch." He held the Hero's Water in the air for all to see. "This is the sole reason why I came back. With this, even Jinchuriki such as you can't stop me!"

Naruto slowly turned his head to Fu. Suddenly, her words from earlier made sense.

'Fu-chan. You're like me.'

"F-Fu…" The mint haired girl looked at her best friend and saw him open his eyes. "Y-you must stop…Suien….before he…." The young leader didn't say anymore as he succumbed to his injuries. Fu almost feared the worst but putting her ear to his heart made her breath in relief. If his wounds weren't treated soon…

"Fu-chan." She looked at Naruto. "Take him to safety. I'll deal with this prick."

Fu almost welled up with tears but steeled herself and picked up Shibuki bridal style. "I'll be back soon, Naruto!" With that, Fu left the two males behind.

Now with the power of the Hero's Water inside him, Suien laughed out loud and looked at the chakra surrounding him. "With this power, I'll rule over all!"

Naruto only took out sealing tags and threw them on the ground. "You wish asshole! You're dealing with me first! Fuin Bushin!(Seal Clone!)" Naruto ran forward with all of the clones that appeared from the tags on the ground. Suien didn't see them as any challenge as he formed two more Watercutting Swords and warded all of them off. Since the Fuin Bushins have aftereffects when they vanish due to hidden mechanics, Suien didn't prepare for the sudden onslaught of kunai from empty spaces. Once the shock wore off, he swiped all of them from the air and focused his attention on the real Naruto. "Suiton: Suigadan no Jutsu!(Water Release: Water Fang Bullet Technique!)"

Three liquid masses swirled in the water as they rose and lunged at Naruto. The blonde in disguise barely avoided all of the water strikes with superb athleticism but fell prey to Suien's next strike and collided against the giant tree in the lake. Cursing as he felt pain from his previous injuries, Naruto slowly stood up again with shaky legs.

"It doesn't matter what you do, brat! I'll kill you here and now!"

Before Naruto could respond, something covered Suien's general area and made the missing-nin shout at how he was blinded.

"Naruto!" Next to him, Fu appeared and helped him stand properly.

"Fu-chan. What was that?"

"My Rinpungakure no Jutsu(Hiding in Scale Powder Technique). He's blinded for now but we have to capitalize now!"

"Gotcha. Just lead to him." Fu nodded and put her hands under Naruto's arms and lifted him up in the air. If the situation wasn't crazy, Naruto would have commented on the fact that his new friend could _fly._

Once they were at a good enough height, Fu put Naruto's body in the direction of Suien. "Over there!" She then noticed Naruto cover his arm with chakra again.

"Throw me, Fu-chan!"

"Naruto?"

"I just came up with a wicked idea! Just trust me!"

Fu stared at Naruto for a bit before nodding and with a 360 spin, threw Naruto and saw him head towards Suien's location like a rocket.

With the scale powder out of his vision, Suien saw the redhead coming towards his location. "Fool! You can't stop me like this!" Creating a bigger Wattercutting Sword, Suien jumped towards Naruto.

"You're the one who's going down!" Then expelling more chakra, Naruto spun his body like a twister in midair. "Rasen Ryu-Ken!(Spiral Dragon Fist!)" Both forms clashed in the air as wills tried to overpower the other. Naruto looked like he was losing but he saw Fu fly right behind Suien.

"Fan Blade!" Fu flapped her wings and released a concentrated burst of sharp wind at Suien's unprotected back. She was rewarded with him turning his head to look at her. "Now Naruto!"

With a yell, Naruto put on the last burst of chakra and overpowered Suien. Now on the ground again, he held his hand as Fu watched stood next to him watching Suien go down a waterfall.

No one noticed a snake swallow the jar of Hero's Water and slither away to parts unknown.

* * *

** Naruto: World Tour Side Adventures!**

** Iron Fist**

10 year old Uzumaki Naruto wiped away sweat from his forehead and grinned in success. He finally managed to create his own clone variation in what he would like to call Fuin Bushin(Seal Clone). 

It really was worth it. A little bit of advanced seal design went into it but Kyuubi was helpful in breaking it down a bit for him. He was also proud of the fact that he could layer some traps on the final design and have it meld with the clones. Poison clones. Exploding clones. Graffiti clones.

He needed to test I this.

So the young blond decided to go to his special spot in the forest. The part of the forest where no one ever found him. The part where the animals joined him for lunch sometimes and gave him company.

The part where someone was currently standing….what the-

"Hey! You're in my spot!"

The mysterious figure stopped his exercises and stared at Naruto behind a hood covering his eyes. His form radiated power as his hoodie covered his muscular frame and long pants with flame designs only revealed padded feet.

Despite the fact Naruto felt a little scared at the intimidating man, he wanted to test his new technique _badly. _So swallowing the saliva in his mouth, Naruto quelled his fears and pointed at the man. "Didn't you hear me? You're in my spot!"

No response.

Naruto got irritated. "If you don't move in the next ten seconds, I'll make you move!"

Instead of walking away, the strange man only slid into a stance where his right foot and arm was forward. "Hit me….and I'll move…"

That was all the incentive Naruto needed and he charged forward with his fist raised.

Next thing he knew, Naruto felt a harsh blow strike him in the face. Angry tears welled in his face as he slowly got up from the ground and stared at the man who slid back into the same stance.

Trying another tactic, Naruto took out a kunai and charged again.

This time, he felt rapid blows strike his midsection.

Naruto coughed up blood and felt drowsy at the pain. This was Kyuubi level punishment. Who was this guy?

"I'm still waiting…."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto decided to go for broke and tested his new technique. "Fuin Bushin!" Seal design circled in the air before two identical blondes appeared. "Let's cream this guy!" Three battle cries escaped sounded through the air as all three Narutos ran towards the man.

A sweeping kick dealt with the blondes with no trouble at all. In fact, the real Naruto was knocked out from this blow.

Now out of his stance, the mysterious man looked at the barely breathing youth and regarded him for a moment.

"You…have some potential…." He turned around. "But train harder…"

Hours later, Naruto woke up to find two gloves on his stomach.

* * *

**As thanks for the support I've been getting these days, that little snippet at the end was a treat so to say. Hope you like it.**

**Now for the Chunin Exams! Criticism is gold.**


	13. Who knew leaves caused pain

"Cause I'm Hachibi-sama and I send you flying! So run away now before you start crying, yeah! Hmm….might use that…."

Doing his best to ignore his brother's rapping, A looked at the three Genin in front of his desk standing at attention.

One had long, fiery red hair and exotic amber eyes to go with her dark skin tone. She wore a long, short sleeved dress with frilled edges and the Kumogakure flak jacket. To complete the look, two yellow earrings, fishnet stockings, thigh high boots with white soles and forehead protector fashioned as a bandanna. Karui adjusted her long sword before standing straight again.

The male of the team was also dark skinned like Karui but had spiky white hair and dark eyes accentuated with lines curving from the corners. He wore a dark over long shirt with a hood under the Kumo flak jacket, red bandage hand guards, shin guards and a long sword strapped on his back. Though Omoi may not seem like much with the thoughtful expression on his face and the lollipop absently resting between his cavities, when the situation counted he was someone to rely on.

The last teammate, which he predicted to be promoted without a doubt, stood tall with a stoic look on her face. Ice blue eyes and blonde hair fashioned in a bob cut framed her fair skinned face down to her shoulders. Wearing a low cut outfit that displayed cleavage sure to distract most of the upcoming competition with their size, mesh armor underneath, custom flak jacket covering her stomach only, short skirt, red hand guards and high boots, Samui was one of the best Genin in the village. Not for long, anyway.

All in all, A liked what he saw. They knew the drill when it came to being a shinobi of Kumo. Take your duty seriously, serve your village, and never dishonor your comrades. That last one was stressed in the academy because of the Gold and Silver Brothers. No one in Kumo wants carbon copies of those two.

"All of you should be aware of your current assignments but I'll be brief for the sake of time and reference. The Chunin Exams take place in Konoha this year and if my information is correct, all of the Big Five except Iwagakure will be participating in these exams. Your tasks are simple. Perform to the highest standard possible and overall dominate these exams. I want to see all of you in the finals when I show up in Konoha. Understood?"

"Yes, Raikage-sama!"

"You three also have one more mission. This one doesn't hold as much importance in your overall mission at the exams but mainly as a note for the future. I want you guys to measure the capacity of Uchiha Sasuke."

As expected, Samui stated the immediate facts. "The last Uchiha loyal to Konoha and relative of the current nuke-nin Uchiha Itachi."

"Correct." A leveled a hard look on all of them. "Uchiha in general are dangerous. And if this one ends up like her brother, and I wouldn't put it past them considering their history, we need to be prepared for the eventuality. Make sure Uchiha Sasuke's move set, motivation, skill level, everything about her is written in a full report for me when you return at the end of the chunin Exams."

"Understood, Raikage-sama."

A nodded and then looked at his second Guardian of Kumo. Standing tall and proud, Nii Yugito defined what a seasoned kunoichi and soldier should be. Clad in a purple and black blouse and black pants with matching cloud designs on them, purple fingerless gloves with beads wrapped around her left hand and long blonde hair bound and wrapped into a ponytail. Beautiful to some, dangerous to all.

"Jonin Nii, you should understand why you're here. Since Bee has his duties as the Guardian of Kumo-"

"YEAH!"

Silence. Eyebrows twitched at the interruption.

Glaring at his brother, A continued. "As I was saying, since Bee has his guardian duties, he cannot leave the village without my permission. Bee can handle himself but I don't trust Konoha to not react well to his presence there. Besides, from what my contacts have told me, I don't want Bee anywhere near Hi no Kuni."

"Any particular reason why, Raikage-sama?"

"This leads to your secondary mission objectives, Jonin Nii. Along with mapping the layout of Konoha in its entirety, I want you to gather some intelligence and gain clarity on something." Seeing that he had Yugito's full attention, brought his head forward. "Sources say that Konoha….lost their jinchuriki."

Yugito's eyes widened slightly. "_Lost_ their jinchuriki? Do you mean nuke-nin missing or secret assassination missing?"

"That's your job. To find out whether that rumor has actual weight or not. Konoha will do their best to keep it under wraps so I'm trusting your judgment with this mission."

"I won't fail you, Raikage-sama."

A nodded and sat back on his chair. "Good. You all have your assignments. I'm counting on all of you to serve Kumogakure and bring its prestige to the top!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed." Once he saw all of them leave his office, A picked up his dumbbell and started his usual reps of 100 curls.

"Like a bee, I deliver the sting! And I give the pleasure so good, ladies wish it wasn't a fling!"

"Damn it, Bee! If I hear one more line come out of your lips, you'll be tasting my Iron Claw!"

Bee just looked at his brother while voicing his thoughts the only way we knew how. "Aniki promising the pain, should I avoid the blow that will make me complain?"

A twitched at the bad line and decided he needed some air. "If you feel so rebellious right now, then you won't mind a quick spar." He stood up from his chair as quick as lightning. "Mabui! I'm heading to my training ground! Cancel all appointments until I return!"

"Yes, Raikage-sama!"

"Let's go, Bee!" Without any warning, A jumped out of the window and headed to his personal training ground. When Kirabi saw Mabui come in and sigh at the broken window again, he gave her a thumbs up and followed his brother.

Just another day in Kumogakure.

* * *

"Once again, I cannot thank you three enough for being volunteers in the following Chunin Exams. Kirigakure has taken a harsh blow with this Civil War. Now, more than ever, do we need to show the world how fearsome we are."

At the entrance of Kirigakure stood a team of three that had a mixture of different expressions on their faces. One was complacent, another nervous, and another determined. Clad in her new battle kimono that was colored purple with wavy patterns and a loose green skirt reaching down to the knees, Haku softly smiled at her Kage. "Do not worry, Mizukage-sama. We shall follow your example and represent our country the way it should be."

Terumi Mei, the newly instated Godaime Mizukage, smiled at her top kunoichi. Personally, the auburn haired woman already considered Haku High Chunin level. No, Haku was on the border between High Chunin and Special Jonin. It was this strength that she was confident in. It was this strength that greatly impressed her on the battlefield.

It was this strength that she planned on displaying to the world and erasing the 'Bloody Mist' mark on Kiri.

"I know I can count on you fully, Haku." She looked at a boy standing behind Chojuro. "That also counts for you, Chojuro. As a representative of the next generation of Shichinin Shu(Seven Swordsmen), you can't afford to hold back during the competition." She smiled sweetly at him. "Understand?"

Chojuro shook a bit at being called out and looked at his feet with a heavy blush on his face. He had short, tufty blue hair and dark eyes. He wore square, black rimmed glasses that connected to ear protectors, a blue pin-striped shirt and camouflage pattern pants. His forehead protector rested on the front of his holster which carried his bandaged weapon, Hiramekarei. Shark-like teeth was revealed as Chojuro responded. "I-I'll do my best, Mizukage-sama."

"Hmph. I wonder why you were chosen to be a Shichinin Shu. That meekness is disgusting." Chojuro looked at his final teammate who stared at him with a frown. Standing as tall as Haku, Kawa Yoshanai wore a plain sea blue shirt with forest green camouflage pants and kneepads. A cleaver was strapped to his back and his forehead protector was wrapped around his left arm.

"Chojuro is part of the Shichinin Shu because he will be shaping the next generation of Kirigakure swordsmen to what I intend them to be." Mei narrowed her green eye. "There is no need for our shinobi to embrace an ideology that only cost more lives than nurture them. You do well to remember that, Yoshanai-_kun_."

Said boy just spat on the ground and walked away. Zabuza put his hand on the wayward Genin's shoulder and growled in his ear. "I'd watch your tone and attitude when talking to your leader. Got it?" Seeing that his message got through by way of body stiffening under his hand, Zabuza took it off and turned around himself. "Alright, brats. We're wasting daylight and I want to be in Konoha before tomorrow evening."

"Hai!" After that, Team Zabuza left Kirigakure. The Demon Brothers looked at each other before Meizu spoke up. "Do you think Haku will pass?"

"Of course. I have full confidence in that."

"I hope your confidence isn't placed in the wrong area, Mizukage-sama." Mei turned a somewhat lazy eye to her guard, Ao. "Haku may be competent enough and Yoshanai might be good if not a little rough around the edges," Ao met his leader's eye. "But I'm not sure Chojuro has what it takes. Back in my day, shinobi didn't have time to feel inadequate and insecure about their abilities. As long as they could kill effectively, they were on the battle field and could fend for themselves."

Mei inwardly sighed. She really had a work of work to do. "Well Ao, if you don't trust my confidence, I hope you at least trust my intuition."

"I do, Mizukage-sama. I'm just making sure that we made the right arrangements for the exams." Ao was about to say more but stopped when he felt a cold pressure in the surrounding area.

"Ao, shut up. Or I _will_ kill you."

As Ao watched his leader walk back to her office with a shocked face, the Demon Brothers knew then and there that Zabuza's advice was a nugget of gold.

'Never piss off Terumi Mei'.

* * *

"It's that time of year again, isn't it?"

Sarutobi nodded at Kakashi's remark and looked at the many Jonin in attendance. All of them were given the same message for this meeting in particular. After all, you had to be a certain Jonin to be here now. "The Chunin Exams are taking place in Konoha tomorrow. Many foreign daimyos and royal folk will be attending this year."

"Not to mention the countries registering their Genin this year. Kumo, Suna, Kusa, Ame, that new village Oto, Taki, hell even Kiri sent a team this year."

Silent conversations were carried out in the room once Asuma's news was delivered. His fellow Jonin Kurenai looked at him with slightly widened eyes. "Kirigakure sent a team this year? I thought they were still engrossed in their civil war."

Kakashi spoke up next. "Apparently, some missing-nin joined the rebel's side and tipped the scale to them. Interesting story, really."

"Still, missing-nin rejoining their village? That's almost unheard off."

"You can't look at the world in a close minded way, Kurenai." Before the red eyed beauty could retort, Sarutobi coughed once and got everybody's attention.

"Regardless, I'm taking applications now. Any Jonin ready to recommend their Genin for these exams, please speak now." Sarutobi acknowledged the recommended teams from his forces until one Jonin in particular loudly proclaimed his.

"I, Maito Gai, The Green Beast of Konoha, nominate Team 9 consisting of Rock Lee, Tenten, and Hyuuga Neji! They're flames of youth are ready this year, Hokage-sama!" After flashing his trademark smile and thumbs up, Gai looked at his longtime friend. "What say you, my eternal rival?"

Kakashi stared at him for a second before looking at Sarutobi. "I say that I'll nominate Team 7 consisting of Haruno Sakura, Sai, and Uchiha Sasuke."

Asuma grinned. "I nominate Team 10 consisting of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru." He looked at Kurenai with a challenging grin.

Seeing that look, Kurenai stepped forward. "I, Jonin Yuhi Kurenai, nominate Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata for the Chunin Exams."

Sarutobi wasn't surprised, honestly. Most of the Genin in that group were from clans and what better way to test their ability and teamwork than to throw them into a competition were holding back and depending on the strong factor that was a Jonin is nonexistent?

"I know what you're thinking, Iruka." The seasoned Chunin instructor looked at him with a shocked face and he smirked. "Those were the very students you nurtured for the program. And you graduated every one of those students because you believed they were ready to take up the mantle of being a Konoha shinobi. Shouldn't you carry that same confidence for them in these exams?"

The scar-faced instructor didn't look fully convinced but conceded to his leader's words and nodded.

"Very well. I wish the best for all of your teams and may the Hi no Ishi burn bright in their hearts."

* * *

Naruto grinned as he weaved between two quick punches and retaliated with a fast punch of his own. His strike was avoided with great flexibility along with two arch kicks. Letting loose a battle cry, he crouched low and tried to go for a uppercut but his opponent quickly sprouted wings and went airborne.

"No fair, Fu-chan!"

"Shinobi don't play fair, _Naruto_~"

Naruto growled at Fu before grinning and channeled chakra to his legs before jumping at the girl. Fu was so shocked that she only had time to hastily put up a two armed guard to block a harsh spin kick. Her bones rattled at the impact and were too numb to try and withstand the pressure from the limb. Before she crashed into a tree, Fu flapped her wings and softly touched the ground. Although less graceful, Naruto joined her and grinned. She couldn't help but grin back at her new best friend.

* * *

"_So…you're a Jinchuriki?"_

_Two days passed after the small battle with the Ame/Taki missing-nin. All of the bodies that belonged to the enemy were cleaned up and eventually burned away. When some Taki-nin found Suien's unconscious body at the bottom of the waterfall, he was quickly recovered and brought before Shibuki. _

_It wasn't easy to come to the decision he made but Shibuki decided to end his life then and there. All he had to look at was the current state of his village to reaffirm that choice. _

_Since then, everyone pooled in their efforts to rebuild their homes and bring some semblance of order in the small village again. Some Taki shinobi were called back from their missions in order to assist. Even the team from Konoha lent a hand along with Naruto. Although during that time, he was heavily scrutinized by them. Especially Sasuke. Luckily enough, they couldn't stay much longer since their original mission was long finished._

_When Naruto was done with his share of work in the village, he asked Fu to take him to the big tree in the middle of the lake. The mint haired girl didn't refuse but was heavily curious when Naruto didn't talk as much or even take a good look at the tree she loved to sleep on. It was when he said that sentence she understood why. Part of her hoped Naruto forgot what Suien said but realized it couldn't be avoided. At least, she told herself, she had fun with the blond while it lasted._

_Fu brought her hand to rest on her other arm. "…yes."_

_Silence. While Fu's hands slowly trembled, Naruto's face gave away nothing as his bangs fell over his eyes. _

"_N-Naruto?"_

_The blonde didn't respond as first. He just continued to look up into the sky as he drowned out all other noise except Fu's._

"_D-does this mean…" The trembling increased and she felt tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. "That we-"_

"_It must have been painful, huh?" When he heard Fu gasp, he continued. "I've seen how the people of this village treat you. Glaring at you like a disease, treating you like dirt under your shoe-" His tone got a bit darker. "Denying you any kind of warmth or love…"_

_Fu couldn't understand what Naruto was getting at but he was spot on with the treatment she suffered in her childhood. Everyone in Taki, besides Shibuki and his father, hated her very existence and didn't relent when it came to exposing that hatred. Many nights were spent curling her body close and crying to sleep._

"_Most people would crack under that pressure…" Naruto revealed his eyes then and when he focused them on Fu, she couldn't help but notice the understanding in them. "But people like us, we're awesome in the sense that we rise above it and find our happiness in our cursed lives."_

_One thing stood out so glaringly in that sentence. It made her pair of orange eyes focus on the blonde. "People…like _us_?"_

_A warm smile crawled on Naruto's face as he lifted his orange shirt to reveal the modified seal painted on its stomach. "Let me fully re-introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Naruto: The Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko."_

_Fu widened her eyes further as her mouth opened slowly. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? "Naruto…you're a Jinchuriki?"_

_Naruto looked up in the sky. "Yup. Since the day I was born. It's funny because you said I felt similar to you earlier. That statement puzzled me for a moment." Naruto then looked at the village that numerous Taki shinobi was rebuilding along with the citizens. "Then I saw them looking at you with those gazes…" Blue eyes took on a solemn look. "Gazes that regard you like scum….it hurts you know."_

"_It does." Fu looked down and absently rubbed her arm. "The worst part is wondering why out of all the children in the village, it had to be you and no one else. Did our parents even care?" Her brows furrowed. "Did they even know the loneliness we suffered?!" Fu didn't realize fresh tears fell down her tan colored face as she made noises from the throat._

_Naruto sorta knew because of Kyuubi telling him of their last moments. He didn't know if she was telling the truth or not(didn't trust Kyuubi much at the time) but every time the sharp demon trained or helped in forming Fuinjutsu, she always referenced his genius akin to the Yondaime or the personality of his mom. That was something, right? But one thing _was_ for sure…_

"_We may never know that, Fu-chan. But there is one thing you _do _need to know." Once he felt Fu's gaze, Naruto closed one eye and smiled. "You're not alone anymore."_

_Fu didn't know whether or not what she did next was on instinct or out of desperation. All she did know was that she didn't regret jumping on Naruto and hugging him with all of the feelings she kept locked inside. _

_If anyone looked at the scene, it might have been judged as intimate considering Fu's legs wrapped around Naruto's left one. Not to mention Fu's choice of clothing…_

_But Naruto didn't consider it intimate. As he wrapped his own arms around Fu's frame, he marked this as the beginning of one of his true friendships._

_Maybe Fu might become one of his precious people…_

* * *

Since then, both Jinchuriki became inseparable together. Stories of their childhood, the good moments anyway, were shared back and forth. Fu's memories mostly involved exploring her forest and seeing all types of creatures along with meeting Shibuki and his father. Naruto's memories obviously involved his many pranks in Konoha. That definitely made her laugh a lot and it brought a smile to his face.

They also contributed to rebuilding Takigakure to its former prime. In Naruto's case, the populace treated him with some amount of respect once they heard about Suien's downfall. Some still didn't trust him because he was a foreigner and was friends with the resident pariah but that was the minority.

For Fu…well for the younger generation, she didn't receive any hate. In fact, the younger girls actually wanted to grow up and be as pretty as Fu!

For those around her age well…if their parent's stigma didn't pass on, they regard her with indifference. The adults haven't changed their opinions on her. In fact, some blame their recent troubles on her.

Fu just plainly ignored them with newfound confidence.

"Let's take a break now, Naruto-kun. That last kick made my arms numb."

Naruto smirked. "What's wrong, Fu-chan? Tired already?"

Fu rolled her eyes but had a smirk on her face. "For _your_ information, buster, _I _was the one kicking your butt all over the place, ssu~"

"That's because you can _fly_!"

"Excuses, excuses…" Fu's smirk stretched as she said her next words. "Last one to Shibuki-kun's office is a rotten old timer!"

Naruto didn't even time to retort when he saw Fu fly away. "Damn it!"

* * *

"What do you mean you don't approve, Shibuki-sama?"

Shibuki sighed and look at one of his older Genin. Wearing a blue jacket over a grey shirt with blue pants to match and curly hair, Hoki didn't have the friendliest of looks on his face.

"Listen, Hoki. I understand that you want to compete in the Chunin Exams and finally raise your rank. But this village is still short-handed on shinobi and I need everyone single one to rebuild Taki before I feel safe to allow missions to be taken again."

"But that's just it, Shibuki-sama! If you send a Genin team that makes it to the finals, Taki will finally get some recognition!"

"Again, I understand your plight Hoki. But this is bad timing and because of that I'm afraid that we must skip this year's-"

"Made it before you, Naruto!"

"That because you can _fly_!"

"Oh, will you get over it, ssu~"

Both males looked at the duo that entered the office with somewhat exasperated looks on their faces and heavy breathing.

"Fu, what are you and Naruto doing here?"

"We came to check up on you, Shibuki-kun. Everything ok?"

Before Shibuki could respond, Hoki butted in and spoke before him. "No, everything is not ok. Our _leader _over here isn't letting any Genin partake in the Chunin Exams."

Naruto looked confused. "Chunin Exams?"

Hoki raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? Are you even a shinobi?"

"Do you see a hitai-ate on me?"

Shibuki dissolved the incoming argument before it started. "The Chunin Selection Exams is an event that is held twice a year in selected villages. In these villages, certain tests are held that access the skills of Genin level shinobi. If these Genin perform well enough, they're considered for promotion to Chunin."

"So that's what they are..."

"I've been a Genin for too long. I need to pass these exams, Shibuki-sama. My team even decided to let me partake on my own if I have too."

Shibuki sighed again. "I'm sorry Hoki but I'm not changing my-"

"Let me go then, Shibuki-kun!"

Shibuki looked at his friend with wide eyes. "Fu?"

"I didn't really care for the Chunin Exams because of…well you know." Left unsaid was Fu not wanting to compete for a village that didn't appreciate her existence. "But for you, Shibuki-kun, I'll gladly partake in them."

Shibuki accessed his friend like a leader would. Bluntly, he already considered Fu Chunin level. Not just because of her 'special' condition, but because of the training she constantly did to hone her strength. Not to mention the nudges from his father. The only reason he didn't let Fu compete was the fear of losing her to the bigger villages.

Taki may have a Jinchuriki but that didn't mean jacksquat in the big world out there.

"Even if I let you enter in the Chunin Exams, I don't have another Genin qualified enough to participate."

"Then I'll enter with Fu-chan."

Everyone stared at the blonde with shocked expressions. "Naruto?"

"You say these exams are for Genin that want to be promoted. To me, it's another tournament were shinobi show their skills and come out on top." He grinned. "Count me in!"

Shibuki blinked twice before responding. "First off Naruto, I'm grateful for everything that you have done for us. But as the leader of Taki, I have to tell you, realistically, why you can't compete." Shibuki held up a finger. "First, you're not allied to any village. That's already a sole reason to turn you down." Another finger. "Second, the Chunin Exams is more than 'just some tournament'. Politically speaking, the villages involved are advertising their shinobi to potential clients. It's not just for a promotion. It's also for credibility and recognition." The third finger. "Third….the exams are taking place in Konoha."

Naruto's mood immediately dropped when he heard that. Of all the places for this thing to place in, it had to be Konoha. Of all places, it had to be the one he wanted to avoid for the longest until he felt he was ready.

"What's the problem with the exams taken place in Konoha? It shouldn't matter where it is as long as you compete in it."

Shibuki sighed and looked at Hoki. "Listen, Hoki. This is a personal situation so I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a little bit." Shibuki held up a hand before the boy could say anything. "Depending on how this works out, you may get your wish to enter the exams."

Hoki looked at his leader then to the blonde who had his head bowed before grunting and leaving the premises.

Once he felt his signature leave his building, Shibuki looked at Fu, who had a worried look on her face, then at Naruto. "I'm sorry for bringing Konoha up, Naruto. But for your sake, I had to deliver the facts straight to you."

"It's fine…" Naruto was at least glad that he trusted Fu and Shibuki with his past a bit. He didn't exactly tell them the _real _reason why he left but he felt, considering his condition, they had a hunch. The blonde could honestly say that his condition wasn't the only reason but….

"Are you really ok, Naruto?"

A fake smile was easily plastered on his face. "I'm fine, really." Naruto made a humming sound before replying to Shibuki. "Well, I was going to return one of these days. Guess it will be sooner than I thought." Naruto nodded. "I'll go anyway, Shibuki."

"How will you enter the exams in your current state?"

Naruto figured he meant his physical appearance. He didn't look _normal_ all things considered. Blonde hair that wasn't dust colored, whisker marks on both cheeks, face structure. Anyone can look at him and say he was the offspring of Namikaze Minato if they weren't blind. Besides, with all the pranks he condoned in Konoha, no one forgot his visage.

This problem was simple to fix though.

"Just like when the team from Konoha was here, I'll make a Henge(Transformation) seal to change my appearance for as long as I need to." Naruto nodded to himself and brought a hand to his chin. "Of course, if the intermediate level seal book is right, I need to…."

Fu and Shibuki watched as Naruto went on a tangent and named different algorithms, patterns, trigrams, whatever involved Fuinjutsu. It was almost scary to watch someone easily detach themselves from reality and get lost in their world so quick.

"Uh Naruto…."

"My hair wasn't fully red in certain areas and my skin didn't change its tone. Maybe if I add that pattern over the 3rd machination and customize the 40th stroke in a certain angle…"

"Naruto."

Blinking twice, Naruto snapped his head to Shibuki and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I go on some tangents sometimes when it comes to making new seals. Fuinjutsu is endless, dattebayo."

"Riiight…." Shibuki coughed. "So if you say you have appearances down, then I suppose I can fix some fake documents to cover your affiliation problem. I take it you'll be a temporary shinobi of Taki?"

"Yeah. I don't have plans to become a shinobi to any village in the future."

"Very well. What will you call yourself in the meantime?"

Naruto looked at the ceiling for a moment before saying the first thing that came to mind. "Menma."

Fu raised an eyebrow. "Menma?"

"Yeah." Naruto shrugged. "Don't know why that came up. Call it weird coincidence or something."

* * *

Naruto stared at the looming gate of his former home. It felt like yesterday when he thought of painting a picture of his face on these gates to fool people into thinking that HE owned the village.

It felt like yesterday when he took his first steps out of the village, turn backed and yelled at the top of his lungs…

"_I'm done with you guys! I'll become the greatest adventurer in the world!"_

Ah shit. This is going to be hell….

"Naruto?"

Fu walked up to him with a worrying expression on her face.

"I-I'm fine. Really."

"What's the hold up? You coming yet, Menma?"

Naruto looked at the older teen that had his arms crossed and stomping his foot impatiently. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Fu stared at Naruto's back when he ran to Hoki. Or Menma's back. Geez, she really had to hand it to her friend. Complicated steps aside, he really covered the disguise aspect. Once he put the tag on his body, his entire appearance changed. Now his hair was a deep red color with black painting each tip and two long bangs framing his face. His skin color changed from its golden tan to a pale white that clashed with his new getup consisting of an open red shirt over a black long sleeve shirt. His pants was also red but with black flame designs covering his right shin and continuing upwards. His gauntlets were still blue and the Taki headband was tied around his left bicep.

All in all, the change worked but it seemed…off. From what Choumei told her, he was basically wearing the colors of the Kyuubi. That only made her more worried. What if Konoha figured out who Menma really was?

Seeing that Naruto was waving at her in the middle of the gates, Fu quickly jogged up to him and took in one of the biggest villages in the country.

* * *

'As busy as ever. Konoha sure hasn't changed at all.'

Naruto agreed with his partner as he walked on the wide highways with Fu at his side. Hoki told them to do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't get into trouble and meet up at the hotel when it turned dark. He offered to give Fu a tour of the village since he used to live here. She was obviously amazed considering the transition from a small village like Taki to something as big as this.

Him on the other hand….well.

'That was the guy that chased me out of his store…' A grocery store owner smiled at a little girl when she pestered her mother to buy some pocky sticks.

'I pranked that asshole when he insulted my taste in color.'

A middle-aged carpenter shook hands with one man while conversing with his wife and laughing.

This went on and on as more familiar faces popped up in his eyesight. All of the adults that glared at him, treated him like shit, outright disrespected him, now smiled at him or threw him a curios look. He couldn't believe this shit. If he took his Henge tag off, Naruto would bet all of his ramen that they would cry for his blood. Hell, they probably thought he died and thought none the wiser.

Fucking pieces of….

"Menma, you're giving off unnecessary killing intent!"

Naruto stopped in the middle off the street and immediately noticed that aside from Fu, everyone else strayed away from him and made space. Somewhat frightened looks came his way while the resident shinobi tensed and brought their hands to their pouches.

"S-sorry about my friend, here! He's just a bit….uh…hungry! Right hungry! Everyone gets in a sour mood when their stomachs aren't full, ssu~"

Damn. Fu had to run damage control because his temper got the better of him. At least her plea worked because the frightened looks went away and everyone relaxed somewhat.

Now that the traffic continued as normal, Fu stepped right in front of Naruto and crossed her arms. "You told me that everything was fine, _Menma_."

Wincing, Naruto just rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, Fu-chan. Just a thought strayed too far is all…." His eyes brightened. "But you were right when I said I was feeling hungry right now. And I know just the place, dattebayo!" Naruto ignored Fu's shout when he turned and ran in a different direction.

Up on the rooftops, Yugito saw the entire scene and narrowed her eyes at the retreating duo. 'Those two stick out with their chakra levels. Especially the red head.' She made a mental note to warn her team about them and disappeared from the scene.

Back to Naruto and Fu, the smell of broth and fine cuisine lured them booth to a stand that was currently occupied by two Genin. One was showing no mercy to his meal as bowls upon bowls were stacked as the other ate at a more leisurely pace.

"Hey there! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! What will you be having?"

Oh Kami…

'Teuchi-jiji…' His second favorite old man smiled kindly at the duo. Clad in his kitchenware, Teuchi leaned on his counter and had a pad on the ready.

"Hmmm….what do I choose…." Fu squinted her eyes and looked at the menu before looking at Naruto. "What are you having Na..ru…"

Fu trailed off when he saw her friend was just staring at the old man. Nothing seemed to dissuade him as he focused his blue eyes on Teuchi. She looked down and read his body language according to the shaking and wavering eyes.

"You ok, kid?" Naruto didn't even answer her and kept looking at Teuchi. By now, the Genin with dark colored hair glanced at Naruto and noted the expression on his face before going back to his meal.

"Menma?"

"Is something wrong, father?"

That voice….

Naruto slowly turned his head to look at the second employee of Ichiraku. Clad in the same kitchen getup as her father with brown hair sticking out, Ayame looked at her father then curiously at the new guests. She noted the red haired boy staring at her with a hollow look on his face. "Is something wrong? If you're having trouble picking out from our selection, we recommend the _Naruto _special. It's a sample of all our dishes in one bowl!"

Before she knew it, he got up from his stool and ran away.

* * *

'Damn it! Why is it so painful!?'

Naruto didn't care if he ran into people on the highway. He didn't care if he stumbled once or twice. He just wanted to get the hell out of there.

So focused on his mission that he didn't realize he bumped shoulders with another redhead who stopped and glared at his retreating form.

"Y-Yuwaku? W-what's wrong?"

Sabaku no Yuwaku let her subtle killing intent spill for a moment before returning to indifference. "Someone might die soon…."

* * *

**Heavy chapter. Hope I did it right. For those of you that asked, no. Naruto will _not _be allied with any village in the future. This will be the only time he wears a hitai-ate in this story. BTW, Naruto is also 5'2 as of now. He's not short in my story. **

**Criticism is gold.(Whether it be good or bad.) Edit 7-16-2013: Updated Gaara's name.**


	14. There better not be a written exam!

Naruto walked in the tree inhabited area of his home. He didn't realize how far his feet carried him until the lack of people caught his attention. The pain of seeing Old Man Teuchi and his secret crush Ayame, especially the latter, really exploded inside. The homely vibe and the mouth-watering goodness of Ichiraku Ramen felt like piling rocks on an already sore back.

This really was a sucky time to come back to Konoha. Kyuubi was right in telling him about being mentally prepared before returning. He didn't take that seriously because ignorance was high in his childhood. But he couldn't turn down such an opportunity to test his skills and help the village that his new friends hailed from. Despite knowing said village admonished Fu like him, he figured this was the first step in changing their opinion on Fu. The best laid plans, they say….

Ears picking up clanging noises, Naruto slowly walked further into the area and eventually saw a girl around his age throwing all sorts of weapons into many targets placed in many angles. She wore a sleeveless pink blouse and dark green pants. Her hair was done in a two bun style that probably was uncommon. But Naruto's attention was drawn to her focused dark brown eyes that pinpointed every center of the red and white targets or weapons that was stuck to tree bark. Then her lithe figure was in motion, releasing all weapons clutched in her hands in ruthless aggression. To his shock, she sealed some stray weapons away in some scrolls and unsealed different weapons to restart her training. That seriously shocked him. Along with that, Naruto was stuck to his feet just watching this girl train. It proved to be a very good distraction. So much that his troubles took a back seat in watching her precision being honed. The performance was that great.

It was almost like watching a special dance that lured and entrapped you in a special pull. So majestic….

Even the part when a kunai comes straight at you with unrelenting speed….w-wait a second!

Naruto quickly moved his head to the side and saw the kunai make its mark on the tree. His life just flashed before his eyes then and there…

"The only reason why I haven't attacked yet or called for my comrades is because of you not making a single move against me." The girl turned around and narrowed her brown eyes at him. "Now who are you and why are you trespassing in a private training ground?"

Naruto held his hands up as he revealed his disguised form. "E-easy. I'm not from around here and I was so busy enjoying the scenery that I wound up here by mistake. Konoha is a big place, after all."

"It is." The girl then took out another kunai and wielded it in a threatening manner. "It's big enough that any missing-nin can infiltrate it with the right plans and skills."

"I-I'm not a missing-nin!" By technical standards, anyway. "I'm here to compete in the Chunin Exams." Naruto quickly took out a scroll and unsealed his fake documents and ID card. "See?"

"Don't move." In a quick Shunshin, the mystery girl held the kunai underneath Naruto's chin while she held the papers with her other hand. She made a humming noise as she carefully scanned the papers in hand all the while being unaware of the situation regarding her captive. Naruto tried to ignore the two bumps on his back but he had to remain still else he made the kunoichi react on instinct and slice his neck off. "Your name's Menma, huh? Weird name." The blonde in disguise had a retort for that, mainly her choice of hairstyle, but chose to keep his mouth shut.

"You seem to check out. Still doesn't mean I trust you." For good measure, a Bushin appeared behind Naruto and held its kunai at the ready. While it did that, the real person went to the clearing and picked up all the weapons lying on the ground.

From that point, the clearing was filled with the sounds of metal clacking and footsteps on grass. Deciding to sate his curiosity, Naruto swallowed the saliva in his mouth and spoke. "So…is it too much trouble to learn the name of the girl that might kill me?"

The girl huffed before responding. "Suppose not. The names Tenten."

"Tenten, huh?" Naruto wondered if he ever came across this girl in his prankster days. If she had the same hairstyle, then it was a possibility. Too much happened around that time to give clarity on it though. "I see you're using the wonders of Fuinjutsu to manage your weapons."

"You mean storage seals? It's not much. All I'm doing is putting my weapons in a special space for when I need them."

"Fuinjutsu is more than that, you know." Blue eyes brightened. "You can do so many things once you understand the complex theories and history behind this subject. It's literally groundbreaking, dattebayo!" So hyper in vexing his passion, Naruto didn't realize his verbal slip.

Tenten blinked at the tone of voice. "Wow. You must be really interested in a bunch of squiggly lines to sound like that."

"Fuinjutsu is more than what looks like squiggly lines! _It's better than Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, damnit_!" Seeing Tenten get tense due to his outburst, Naruto composed himself and got his voice at an even level. "Sorry about that. When you diss the sealing arts like that, regard it as too complicated or even see it way below the level as the other shinobi arts, it personally insults my character." Naruto looked at the scrolls rolled out on the floor and fondly smiled at the cursive calligraphy and directional arrows. "Taking the time to study and nurture every step in creating seals, experimenting them and using them all the while brainstorming the next innovation….that's my philosophy in Fuinjutsu."

'This guy really loves Fuinjutsu.' To be honest, Tenten envied the redhead. More than once did she try to understand and grasp seals beyond the storage variety. It only came up as an answer to better manage/equip her weapons. One bored afternoon when team training passed, she frequented the library for textbooks on the subject. Particularly for dummies.

Not even the simplified versions made things easy for her. The theories and concepts were _HARD_.

"You make it sound so un-complicated." A humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "Then again, most of us aren't as _talented _as you." With that, Tenten canceled the Bushin and rolled her scrolls up.

"Anyone can be talented in Fuinjutsu as long as you're determined to succeed in it. In fact," Naruto fished in his back pocket and revealed an orange colored scroll with a chibi face of a child triumphantly grinning. Rolling it out on the ground and slamming his hand on the center, Naruto picked up two worn books that had multiple sticky notes stuck between the pages. If one looked closely, ink markings that looked rubbed out via finger/spit combo were splattered all over the front and back. "I can lend you these textbooks on the Intermediate Level of Fuinjutsu Theory and Formulas."

Tenten looked at the books before raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "Intermediate Level? What makes you think I can understand that much when I haven't even finished or even started on the Beginner's level?"

"The first step in grasping something new is to look at the dumbed down version. These textbooks contain notes that _anyone_ can understand. The plan was to give these to a precious person of mine but I can't ignore potential when I see it." A small idea came to mind and it made him fish for another scroll. "In fact, let's call this a fair trade. I give you my pride and joy in exchange for helping me with this." In another poof of smoke, the somewhat intimidating Mechanical Drilling Arm made a noise as it fell to the ground.

Tenten's full attention was on the mysterious new weapon. "What is that?"

"You can call that a spoil of war. Or me nabbing the weapon when the owner got his ass kicked by me. Whichever one you choose."

"I've never seen something like this before!" Tenten observed the gauntlet from all angles and scanned the different parts before picking it up for herself to get a closer look. "This thing is a bit heavy…" Nonetheless, her hands were massaging the rusty surface. Then she turned the gauntlet in a vertical angle to scrutinize the metal fingers. For a fleeting moment, she pictured flesh being torn apart because of these things. Hopefully her small shiver went unnoticed. Switching it so the claw was facing down, Tenten slipped her arm into the hole and wiggled her fingers in the surprisingly non-compact space.

"Awesome, isn't it?"

Tenten didn't say anything until she was done feeling inside the compartment. "How do you activate this thing? I can't imagine you just running up to someone and hoping to cave their face in."

"Pass it here." Naruto slid his arm into it after her caught in the air and turned towards a random tree. "Watch. Chishi Kurenai(Crimson Topography!)"

Tenten felt her jaw drop when she saw the metal claw launch itself out of the gauntlet and pierce through several trees with raw destructive power.

Naruto grinned when he saw her expression. "Awesome, right? But there are some adjustments I want with this thing." While Naruto listed his plans for improvement, he was manually reeling the claw in. "First, I want a switch in the hand compartment so I don't have to use a jutsu to activate it. Second, I want to replace the wire with a higher grade that will allow me to channel chakra into it. Third, though I think this one might be a bit tricky, make it lighter and reduce the size a bit." Naruto snapped the claw back in place. "Think you can help me with this?"

She was already by his side. "I may not know how to solve your problem. But I know this owner of a store I frequent that can help!" Tenten looked at the books on the ground before staring at Naruto. "You really don't mind me taking those books?"

"Of course not. The more people that can grasp Fuinjutsu, the better!"

Tenten looked him up and down for a moment before smiling and taking the offered books. "Thanks! This means a lot!" After sealing the books away, Tenten cleaned the clearing of all of her stuff before taking the Drill Arm from Naruto. "I can take this to the store owner and have him look at it. Since you're in the exams, I can let you know when you can pick it up. Is that ok?"

"No problem. I'm glad we came to an agreement."

Tenten nodded before walking away. Suddenly she turned at stared at Naruto. "Wait a sec. I remember you saying something funny."

Naruto blinked twice. "What?"

"You planned to give these books to _precious people._" Tenten let a teasing smile crawl on her cute face. "Am I precious to you now, _Menma-kun~"_

Naruto grinned at her. "I have no problems if you _want _to be, Tenten-chan~"

"Hmm. Just remember that we're opponents in these Chunin Exams. I won't go easy on you. See ya~" For good measure, she swayed her hips a bit before leaving his eyesight.

Naruto just shook his head and looked at the orange hued sky. 'Wow. Just one talk and I don't feel like shit anymore.'

'Very surprising.' Kyuubi let the silence ring before talking again. 'I didn't say anything to you before because your decision in returning was absolute. But from my perspective, you weren't mentally prepared to return.'

'Still not really. But that doesn't mean I won't be ready by the end of these exams to face my demons.' Kyuubi didn't respond to that last quirk.

"Naruto!"

Blue eyes noticed the familiar figure of Fu running towards him. "Hey, Fu-chan…"

"Don't you hey me, mister!" Fu jabbed her finger in his chest. "Did you know how much damage control I underwent because of your sudden action? You got some explaining to do, ssu~"

Naruto nervously chuckled at his predicament but had a quick solution. "You know, I was just about to go somewhere special. Care to join me?"

* * *

"The view from here is beautiful, Naruto!"

'That was so easy.' Still, he couldn't blame his fellow companion. From atop the historic figure of the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, the view of the village was absolutely mesmerizing. The sunset rays really play a huge part in highlighting the beauty of the settlement. Houses bathed in the orange glow and street lights couldn't compete with the radiant luster.

"In my younger days, I would always come here and just stare at this image. It would always cheer me up or give me new prank ideas. I have Jiji to thank for that…"

Seeing Naruto's face illuminated by the evening light made Fu's heart beat a little faster than normal. She didn't know why but it didn't last long. "Really?"

"Yeah…" Naruto didn't say much further and let his eyes stare at his home, soft winds playing with his untamed hair.

"So it's safe to assume this cliff is the equivalent to my forest. This place is nice. But nothing matches the comforting aura of a natural forest, ssu~"

"We all have our ways of coping. When it comes to special places, cherishing them comes naturally, dattebayo."

"You're right." Fu let her chin rest on her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "Do you feel better now, Naruto?"

The answer was delayed a bit due to the response needing words that string nicely. "To be honest Fu-chan….I do feel a bit better. But it still hurts." He felt her orange eyes on him so he deactivated his Henge seal and let a true smile crawl on his face. "Trust me, Fu-chan. I'll be fine now."

Right then and there, as her heart raced again and cheeks tinted red, Fu decided that Naruto was someone to completely trust no matter what. She already knew worrying for him would never cease but at least he kept his promises.

Nodding, Fu got up and stretched her lithe body. "Let's meet up with Hoki. We got a test to take in the morning, ssu~"

"Gotcha!"

* * *

They say when an animal, more specifically prey, is surrounded by predators and stared at like fresh meat on the market instincts flare to the highest point. Every muscle movement was tense, ears focused on growls and footsteps, eyes piercing the surrounding environment. It was that moment that defined the survival skills learned from adapting the trials of nature. In simple terms, put up or shut up.

Uchiha Sasuke perfectly understood this as she stood to a corner and glared at the mass amount of foreign entities. Kakashi wasn't lying when shinobi from different countries attended and made their presence known. He stressed two things in particular; Stick together with your comrades and watch your back. Something about teamwork was tossed in there but that was nothing new when the Cyclops was referenced.

What did this mean to Sasuke? Nothing much. Though testing her capacity on the other hand….

"You know, boys don't like it when girls paint their pretty faces with ugly frowns."

An unladylike snort later and Sasuke acknowledged her 'ally' with a lazy glance. "Funny you talk about looks when your 'teammates' don't find you attractive."

Yakumo looked at her team and frowned back at Sasuke. "They're not worth my time. I would've jumped at the chance at solo entrance into these exams but nope. Need your team. Bleh."

"These are the Chunin Exams. Teamwork is a core factor."

"You're the last person that should be preaching about _teamwork_."

There's that tension. It distracted Sasuke, if only to inflict herself with an illusion of not being surrounded by predators. "You're right. Teamwork is something I don't need to take down anyone who gets in my way."

There it is. Her 'ally' tensed with that last statement. The thought of proving her dominance created a smirk on her beautiful face.

Yakumo suddenly chuckled. "Chatting with you is _always_ engaging, Uchiha."

"Sad that others don't share the sentiment." It was true. Most people find her speech either downright chilling or nonexistent. The latter because of civilians only believing the words spewing from their mouths. Urges of planting Chidori(Thousand Birds) into their skulls always popped up-

"It's been too long since I've seen that beautiful face!"

What do you know? The urge popped up again.

Inuzuka Kiba strolled into the exam room with his two teammates with a haughty air. Fangs revealed themselves as he grinned at Sasuke. "Seriously, fate is an asshole for keeping us separate."

She didn't even grace him with her coal orbs. "No. Fate is doing its job if nuisances like you are kept away."

Kiba only laughed. "Damn. That tongue is as sharp as ever!" He winked at his team then increased his 'manly' charm. "You know, we could explore with that tongue more after a date with yours truly. What do you say?"

As much as Yakumo secretly enjoyed the torture session with her rival, the mutt seriously pissed her off. "A shinobi who can't even keep his hormones in control. How sad your _sensei_ must be." She emphasized sensei because of the particular subject.

"Watch your mouth, Kurama! If you act more dignified like Sasuke-chan here, then boys would notice you more."

Sasuke was about to release a quiet sigh until her eyes caught something at the doors. Familiar red hair. 'He's in these exams?'

'He' was Naruto in disguise. The tan girl and some other guy joined him in eyeing everyone in the room. Once the male finished his observation, he got reprimanded by the older boy for saying something out of line.

And for some reason, she felt a small spike in killing intent. A quick glance revealed the team from Suna as the culprit. More exactly, the kunoichi with the gourd. Seafoam eyes glared a hole into the Taki boy like he raped her in some universe. Weird.

In fact, double the weird because the Kumo team was also staring at him. What the hell?

"So Sasuke-chan, ignoring that _rude _interruption, what do you say about that date?" He didn't hear her voice. "Sasuke-chan?" Kiba saw his girl staring at something behind him. Following her eyesight, he laid his eyes on some random redhead talking rather loudly with some hot chick with killer legs. He would've paid attention to the chick but this guy was hogging his 'man' time. And damnit, he was top dog around here!

Sasuke watched Kiba walk to the redhead. 'This should be entertaining.'

* * *

"The heck's your deal, kid?! Do you want us to get killed this early into the exams?"

Naruto thought he stated his opinion rather clearly. That opinion being the opposition non-threatening from where he was standing. Seriously, most of these Genin looked like highway thugs or try-hard ninja. He sorta blamed that on the foes her fought before but still.

"I'm just saying. These guys don't look threatening to me."

Hoki covered his face with his hand. "Geez. Why did I agree to have you on the team?"

"Don't worry, Hoki. Menma just showing his confidence, ssu~"

"If his _confidence _causes me to fail-"

Naruto stuck his tongue out grinned. "We're not gonna fail this." The grin stretched when he faced the competition and thrust his fist out. "Hear that? Menma's the name of reference when you realized your ass got kicked!"

* * *

"Tch. Brat's like him really piss me off, ya know."

"Don't worry about him, Kankuro. With his attitude, death will come to him."

Kankuro was about to reply to his sister when a crazed chuckle made him freeze. "That's right, Mommy. He's looks ripe. So ripe. His blood will satisfy you….*giggle*. I know, Mommy. I love you too."

Great. Nightmares are coming again.

* * *

"That's the guy Yugito-sama was talking about? He's nothing special."

"I dunno, Karui. He did say our asses was gonna be kicked by him." Omoi became tense. "What if he's actually some Jonin nuke-nin in disguise and taking these exams as some sort of sport? What if he's a disciple of some legendary shinobi that no one has ever heard of?" Omoi slowly turned his head. "What if he's the devil in disguise? He's a redhead after all. And considering how Karui acts on her worst day-"

Ignoring her female teammate's treatment to Omoi, Samui just coolly stared at the redhead. According to Yugito-sama's report, this particular Genin had unusually high chakra levels. Along with his female teammate. She could actually feel a latent power coming from the redhead but all her natural senses picked up were higher than average chakra levels.

Samui didn't plan on discouraging her idol's tip but the expectation wasn't high enough. Besides, she reminded him too much of her brother Atsui.

"Not cool."

* * *

"Hey, who do you think you are?"

Naruto turned around and saw a boy wearing a fur lined, hooded coat with dark grey pants and red markings on both cheeks. Combined with the white fur coating the dog in the hoodie, memories from his childhood revealed the identity of this shinobi. 'Kiba?' Once Kiba got in his face, he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I think I'm the one who is going to dominate these exams!"

"Oh yeah?! You're several years too late to be thinking that crap! Know why? Cause I'm the one dominating these exams! Right, Akamaru?" An energetic bark made Kiba form a fanged grin.

"Bring it on, dog breath! The look on your face when I'm through with you will be etched on everyone's faces!"

More killing intent spiked throughout the room. If a civilian walked into the room, they would've choked due to the pressure. Or at least think it was a warzone with glares centered on Naruto or anyone else. In a sense, they would be right.

The Chunin Exams was a substitute for war after all.

"Alright maggots pipe down and shut up! The first part of the Chunin Exams begins now!"

* * *

**I apologize, my lovely fans. If you didn't read my profile then I'll explain the delay: exams and a small writer's block. Mostly exams. That messed up my writing mojo. But my semester is finished so back to focusing on this story.**

**Anywho, to address somethings. For the whole 'not ally' thing, Naruto won't wrap a headband around his head and work under a Kage like a loyal shinobi. That doesn't mean he won't work with any nation's ninja if the goals co-align. This Naruto is a free spirit. If you wanna read a Kage intended Naruto, I direct you to the other million fics on this sight. **

**Can't remember anything else. So yeah, look forward to an original first exam. Criticism is gold. (BTW, its practically a given Naruto will attract TOO many women. Real life fangirls want to marry him...right? Just wait with the girls down the road...heheh. One relationship will be pretty rocky.)**


	15. Everyone has a sadistic side

**Review Responses:**

**TheRazgrizDragon: Dude, I'm glad I have support like you. You, along with everyone else, will enjoy future chapters!**

**kurokazeryuu: Quiet, you! Fiction demands it be the same thing! Ignore my mistakes and worship my art! (Not serious)**

**GreyMan19: See Author's Note about my answer to your concern.**

**Hiei-Uchiha: I'll address this next chapter since you aren't the only one to bring this topic to attention. But Rasengan...hmm.**

**Quick AN: Fair warning. This chapter maybe a bit...disturbing.**

* * *

"My name is Morino Ibiki and I'm the proctor for the first part of the Chunin Selection Exams!" Eyes lidded with a hardened visage, crafted from wars and nitty-gritty missions, scanned the Chunin hopefuls and instantly frowned. "Most of you don't even look like you belong here! In fact, if I felt like it, I can fail every single one of you right now." As expected, the more rowdy Genin reacted horribly and voiced their disapproval. Ibiki let it flow before he channeled chakra into his voice. "Shut up, maggots! If I was that sadistic, there wouldn't be an exam in the first place." Thing was, he was _already _that sadistic. The chunin standing around him knew that well. Speaking of them, "Now, if you idiots are composed, I'm going to explain the first part of these exams.

As you can see, there's 10 chunin standing front and center. The first thing to catch your attention is the masks they wear." Indeed, all of the chunin wore different animal masks that covered their faces. Some looked silly while the others looked intimidating. One in particular looked downright terrifying. "Want to know why they're wearing them? Simple. You're interrogating them."

No one had anything to say to that. Everyone looked at Ibiki with their full attention.

"Each of these Chunin proctors has a certain password that you need to catechize out of them. Once you learn of this password and repeat it to me, you officially pass the first part of this exam. Sounds easy, doesn't it? After you hear the rules, some of you might think differently.

The first rule: Only _one _team member is allowed to interrogate the proctor chosen for them.

The second rule: Each team only gets _one _chance to interrogate the proctor.

The third rule: The chosen member has a strict time limit of 5 minutes.

Final rule: The same password from each proctor can only be used 10 times.

For those that aren't bright, I'll sum it up for you: At the end of this portion of the exam, only 54 participants will remain."

You could hear a senbon drop in the room due to the silence. Most Genin had shocked looks on their faces while others had determined, scared or anticipating looks.

"I giving you maggots 2 minutes to decide which team members will conduct the interrogations. No more, no less. Remember, whoever you chose will be the only one taking this test. If they fail, your whole team _fails_. And if you fail this test, then you and your team will be prohibited from taking any future Chunin Exams."

With screams filling the room behind him, Ibiki left with a swish of his long trench cloak.

* * *

"Is that asshole serious?!"

"We can't take a Chunin Exam ever again if we fail this?!"

"What bullshit!"

Chaos erupted in the room of Chunin hopefuls. Some teams were outright fighting each other, proving that they were the superior choice. Others were in panic and severe doubt for the task ahead.

Then there was Yuwaku's team.

"You two will stay here. Don't get in my way."

Temari and Kankuro didn't have any problem in stepping out of the way. Yuwaku's growing smile meant bad news for whoever she was interrogating.

For Sasuke's team.

"What should we do, Sasuke?"

"Yes, bitch. Our course of action?"

Sasuke scoffed at her team before walking forward.

For Kumo's team.

"This is crazy. Unless there's a professional involved, interrogations could be conducted by more than one person. What is Konoha's deal with this bullshit?"

Samui rolled her shoulders before stepping forward. "I'll handle this, you two. Don't get into trouble."

Watching her retreating back, Omoi momentarily took his lollipop out of his mouth. "Samui is the best choice for this situation. After all, what man wouldn't want to stare at her giant jugs when she's trying to talk to you?"

"Are you trying to say something, Omoi?"

"No. I'm just saying. Aren't kunoichi supposed to utilize all of their assets for certain victory?"

"Yeah but that doesn't mean we have to degrade ourselves resorting to those tactics."

Omoi shrugged before putting the lollipop in his mouth again. "You're just saying that because your tits are as flat as a table surface."

You would think someone like Omoi would learn to tread lightly about a girl's figure.

"Times up, maggots! All chosen members step forward! All those that are undecided, get out of my sight!"

Omoi didn't hear that in la-la land.

* * *

It was an easy decision for Team 7 to let Sasuke handle the interrogation. Sakura didn't have the drive to carry out an interrogation and Sai would only stare blankly at the victim. Or give them a fake smile. If they were up against Genin around their level, Sai would be enough. But this needed an Uchiha's touch.

Sasuke walked into the room and instantly focused her black eyes on the masked proctor. She hoped her soon-to-be prey didn't rely too much on that pathetic excuse for a face covering. If she wanted too, a quick Shunshin and ripping off the mask for Sharingan eyes to affix themselves would solve the problem in no time. But no. A new idea popped up.

"You're gonna stand there all day, _Uchiha-hime_?"

A scoff escaped her lips before Sasuke appeared behind the proctor and struck with an already prepared Chidori. It would be no use if she buried the electric charged hand further into her prey's flesh. For now, penetrating the surface would do. Besides, the electric current made her victim have spasms and howl in intense pain.

"Listen and listen well." She made her voice a velvet smooth whisper as ivory lips moved near an ear canal. "I'm already in a bad mood. You don't want to make it worse." A harsh gasp was the response of the Chidori plunging further. "Give me the password. Now."

The proctor was coughing and greedily taking in air behind the mask. Blood poured down his chin and dripped on newly tailored clothes. "This…is…the best…you…can do? Just as disgraceful as your-" He finished that sentence with screams instead of words.

"And here I thought my Sharingan wouldn't be needed. Actually…" She twisted the Chidori like her hand on a doorknob and savored the expected response. "Scum like you deserves its embrace. But I'll have my fun hearing your screams before I become fully satisfied." She pushed deeper and reaped the rewards again.

If only she had mother's special brand of soap. Her hands will be so dirty and covered with blood and grime. Then again, Itachi's blood will coat her hands one day. And she'll relish in it. Sasuke could already feel her tongue trace the curves on her hand as the blood coated it before spitting on his dead corpse.

What better prey to practice on then this unfortunate soul? Sasuke heard screams that didn't come from the proctor. Some poor baby Genin team bore witness to her session and ran away. She wondered if they noticed her crazed smile before shitting their pants.

* * *

"Damn it! Only one of us can interrogate the proctor?!" Hoki looked a bit frantic with reason. "I never went through this shit during the times I had to take the Chunin Exam!"

"Really? What takes did you undertake during your exams, Hoki?"

Hoki spared a glance at Fu before continuing his distressed pace. "My team only had to take some tests that relied on our information gathering skills and finding some location in the village. We never had to interrogate someone directly." His hand went through his spiky hair before he faced his teammates. "Interrogation isn't my forte. But if I have too…"

"Wait. The proctor we only have one chance at this. Our decision really has to count, ssu~"

Naruto fingered his scroll before snapping his fingers and taking out an ink brush.

"What are you doing, Menma?"

Naruto didn't answer and continued to paint seals on his gauntlets. Once he was done, three parallel lines on each hand were displayed.

"What are those?"

Naruto smirked. "These will score the exam for us. Just leave it to me."

Fu and Hoki watched the confident redhead walked into the room, an almost dangerous smile stretching his pale face.

"He better not screw up."

* * *

"Your team sent a scrawny brat like you? They should've surrendered when they got the chance."

Naruto just stretched his smile more and sat down with his legs folded and arms crossed. "Yup. Woe is me. But it's alright. I'm a social person." Naruto didn't say anything else for the next 2 minutes. He just waved his head from side to side humming a random tune.

"You know, the silent treatment won't exactly work on me."

"I tried." With surprising speed, Naruto slapped both of his hands on the proctor's back and flipped over him. "Now I can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Hmph. That line is so cliché. Know what else is? Telling you to go fuck yourself."

Naruto didn't mind the language considering his past foe. It only made his next moves all the more enjoyable.

"Hard way it is." Making a hand seal, Naruto watched as the proctor started to shake uncontrollably. He grinned when the proctor's teeth started to clatter against each other like a beaver at work. "What's wrong? You're shaking like its winter time in here."

"F-f-f-f-f-u-u-u-c-c-c-k y-y-o-o-o-u-u-u!"

"Hmm? What did you say? Speak clearly!" Naruto still had his shit eating grin plastered on his place.

"S-s-c-r-e-w y-o-u!"

"What? Turn up the heat? Don't know why you want that but sure!" Naruto made a different hand sign and stretched his grin when the proctor got up from his seat and ran in circles.

"HOT!"

"You sure like different weather conditions. I always prefer the temperature just right, 'ttebayo."

"TURN DOWN THE HEAT!"

"If you tell me the password, I'll deactivate the seals. Otherwise, I'm tempted to increase it more." Naruto knew Kyuubi was enjoying this. As tame as she was now compared to their first meetings, human suffering still entertained her. It still disturbed him but he ignored it. If only to focus on cementing the relationship between them. "Let me tell ya, making elemental seals is whole nutha' challenge. I'm not even sure if these seals are properly controlled." Naruto shrugged in a non-caring manner. "Meh. Something to look into later….."

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'll TELL YOU! JUST STOP THIS PAIN!"

Naruto canceled his seals and stood up. "Nice. Now tell me. One of my teammates is rather impatient, ya know."

* * *

Yuwaku didn't waste any time and sent a stream of sand towards the proctor and immediately increased the density. The now formed cocoon of sand was wrapped around its unfortunate prey.

"Mommy is howling for your blood…and I'm _oh so _tempted to acquiesce." Yuwaku didn't fight the mad grin that was a casual sight on her demented features. "Tell me what I need to know already."

Seeing as this proctor was one of the newer interrogators, he quickly gave in and told Gaara the password.

But the truly sad thing is…he was dealing with Yuwaku.

Just because she got the info needed to advance further, Yuwaku was far from satisfied. So she brought her pale hand up and curled her fingers near the center of her palm. Mommy squealed with delight when blood flowed freely from the offending mask. Speaking of the mask…

It featured a tanuki. Oh sweet irony.

"AHHHH!"

* * *

"Is the cost clear, Chouji?"

Chouji looked side to side before giving the thumbs up. "Clear, Shikamaru."

Nodding, Shikamaru turned to Ino. "Ready?"

Flipping her ponytail, Ino smirked before getting into position. "I was born ready."

"Then here we go." Once Shikamaru saw a grinning Genin exit one of the rooms, he instantly made his signature hand seal. "Kagemane no Jutsu.(Shadow Possession Technique.)" The shadow at his feet stretched to the Genin and made him freeze on the spot. "Now, Ino."

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!(Mind Body Switch Technique!)" With precise aim, Ino successfully transferred her subconscious into her victim. 'Alright! This will only take a sec….ew! Who does stuff like that?! And why is he….never mind. Gotta stay focused! Let's go here…got it! Kai!' The body slumped to the floor once Ino finished with her mind pilgrimage. "Done, Shikamaru!"

"Operation success. Let's get this over with."

* * *

"Alright, maggots! I've heard all of your passwords! The remaining teams pass!"

Naruto's team along with everyone else howled in victory. From seduction to brutal methods, Ibiki approved of their efforts and didn't even bat an eye when the medics came in and brought most of the proctors to the hospital.

"You seriously let this many brats pass, Ibiki? Getting soft aren't ya?"

Ibiki's expression didn't change when his hyper associate crashed through the window with her attention grabbing banner. 'Super Sexy Mitarashi Anko' indeed. "A bit over the top don't you think?"

"Life sucks if you don't go the extra mile!" Presence made known to everyone, Anko looked at her batch of Genin. In a quick movement, she opened her tan trench coat a bit to reveal some cleavage. To distract, attract, or piss off some people. That was how she rolled. "Listen up, shit stains! I'm the sexiest kunoichi you will ever lay eyes on! And I also happen to be the next proctor for the Chunin Exams! Better step your game up because my exam won't be as soft as Ibiki-chan! Follow me or else!"

* * *

Naruto stood with Fu and Hoki at the entrance of the Forest of Death. Truth be told, he could've sworn this place had some materials concocted for his pranks in the past. Or maybe it was some other forest around here.

"Our next test is taking place in a forest, huh? This will be awesome, ssu~"

Naruto grinned. "This will be right up your alley, ne Fu-chan?"

"You bet, Menma!"

"It's funny that a Takigakure shinobi thinks the forests will be their playground." Naruto and Fu turned to Kiba who, along with his team, warily stared at them. "You guys don't know Konoha shinobi, do ya?"

Naruto rose to the bait as expected. "It doesn't matter, dog breath! No matter the location, I'll personally beat you down!"

Kiba snarled as Akamaru barked at the redhead. "We'll see about that, common trash! I'll show you the quality of our shinobi compared to yours!"

Before the tension in the area increased more, Anko appeared in a Shunshin and banged on the fence behind her. "Alright, babies! Here's the next part of the Chunin Exams: There are two types of scrolls each team needs to get their hands on." Reaching into her coat, Anko revealed two different colored scrolls. One black, one white. "The Heaven Scroll and the Earth Scroll. Now you might be thinking, what does this forest have to do with these scrolls? Quite simply, really." With a sadistic grin, Anko waved her arm with a flourish to the dark training groud. "You guys are going to hunt for these scrolls in the Forest of Death! That's right! There scattered in every single space you can imagine! In a bee's nest, in the rivers, snake's nest…oh by the way: Don't think the only company you'll get in the forest is other teams!" With a sigh, Anko raised her fingers. "Man eating plants, gigantic spiders, vicious tigers, exotic snakes." She stopped to lick her lips before continuing. "What else now…oh yeah!"

Naruto looked at his fellow competitors and saw some of them bored or outright scared. Out of impulse, he leaned closer to Fu and whispered in her ear. "Someone has too many screws loose, dattebayo."

Now the immediate reaction, especially since the joke was aimed at someone like Anko, was to bust out laughing. Fu almost did that but brought her hand to her mouth and silently giggled.

She didn't expect to be pushed out of the way. Then again you couldn't blame her. She didn't know Anko.

In the span of three seconds, Naruto pushed Fu out of the way, dodged an incoming kunai and tackled someone to the ground.

Blue eyes stared into light brown eyes.

"Huh. Never expected to tango with fresh meat."

Naruto didn't care if all eyes were on the suggestive position he was in. If this crazy lady was going to attack him, then no hold bars!

"As much as I would love to experiment with young blood like you, I got an exam to run." Hearing a hiss after that statement, Naruto jumped off of Anko and put away his kunai. "Now line up, maggots! There's release forms to sign!"

* * *

**Naruto World Tour Side Adventures**

**Gonna Feel the Heat!**

"So this is a volcano."

'Technically, it is the foot of a non-active volcano.'

"Still a volcano, Kyu." Naruto had both hands on his hips as he looked up at the large mountain. He was currently studying elemental seals in his Fuinjutsu research and seeing that he was born in Hi no Kuni, Naruto started with the fire element.

Now since he didn't have any formal training, the young blond couldn't make fire with any technique or by natural means. The next best step?

Mother Nature.

'You know, I'm very curious. If you somehow get to the top of the volcano and come into contact with actual lava, how will you contain it?'

That...was actually a good question. Everybody knew that lava was hot as hell. Touching it would pretty much melt whatever body part touches it.

"Still, if I can at least get close enough to put a fire seal near the stuff…"

'Naruto, if you get yourself burned, I won't heal your wounds. My container shouldn't be this stupid.'

"Where's your sense of adventure, Kyuu? Come on, this will be awesome!" With that attitude, Naruto ran towards the mountain. Not far behind, an attractive woman with green hair dyed with orange at the tips stared at the fading blond.

'Is that boy serious about going to the volcano?' Pakura's instincts immediately screamed for her to get the boy away from it. Despite that, she had a brief smile on her face. 'At least he reminds of Maki. After this, I must return soon.'

* * *

**So hi, people. You probably hate me but a small writer's block choked me. Along with writing down new story ideas.**

**Anyways, as a reviewer brought up, I want to ask you guys something. What names should I give Fem!Sasuke? I'll let you decide for me. Other than that, see ya next time.**

**Criticism is gold. (Edit 7-16-2013: Updated Gaara's new name.)**


	16. Brawl under Dark leaves (Part 1)

"So our goal here is to find two scrolls, huh? My team did something like this before. Only we actually had the items. A scavenger hunt was only necessary if we needed survival necessities."

Naruto grinned. "Don't sweat it. We'll get those scrolls and kick so much ass, dattebayo! Right, Fu-chan?" No response. "Fu-chan?" Red hair swished as Naruto turned to his female partner and noticed her orange eyes taking in the Forest of Death and its grandeur.

"The trees are so ancient around here. They must have been around for so long, ssu~"

'That wouldn't be a surprise, Fu dear. These very trees were made by the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama.'

'The first Hokage of Konoha? How did he do that?'

The Nanabi easily explained itself. After all, it was because of that man the Bijuu ended up sealed in humans. 'It was because of his special bloodline limit: Mokuton(Wood Release).'

'Mokuton…sounds like an awesome skill to have, ssu~'

The Nanabi didn't comment any further on that matter.

"Earth to Fu-chan!"

Said girl blinked her eyes and turned to Naruto with a sheepish expression, a tint of red on her tan cheeks. "Sorry, Menma. Did you say something?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't want to bother you, Fu-chan. But we need some sort of strategy if we're going to nab those scrolls."

"The obvious thing to do is avoiding combat at all cost." Hearing the serious tone, Naruto and Fu paid attention to their older teammate. "Trust me. If it's one thing I've learned taking these exams is this: Don't get involved in shit you've got no business in." Hoki now had his eyes all over his surroundings. "The second is to watch out for any and all traps. This is important. Scrolls are the necessary factor to pass this thing. That won't mean any other team is against utilizing this fact."

"Meaning?"

"Fake scrolls. Too good to be true deals. You name it."

Fu made a sound of wonder. "Huh. This is trickier than I expected."

"Look, the proctor said this exam last five days so rushing our objective doesn't have to be a priority. With that said, we can't use that as an excuse to slouch either."

Naruto nodded. "We'll ace this. Count on it."

Hoki increased his speed with the other two following suit.

* * *

"This is definitely tree-hugger territory. I barely see any water in sight."

Haku briefly looked back at Yoshanai before facing forward again. "Even a secluded forest like this has water, Yoshanai-kun. My guess for the next source will be at the center."

"Can you tell if we're going in the right direction?"

"It's certainly hard to tell with the dark surroundings. I can barely see a thing in this place. And if that proctor lady was correct, then the wildlife will surely-"

"Are you really that scared, shark bait?!" Yoshanai angrily frowned at Chojuro. "I cannot believe the Mizukage made some jelly-spined weakling like you one of the Shichinin Shu. The very thought makes my blood boil."

"This isn't the time, Yoshanai-kun. We must focus on finding those scrolls."

"Stay out of this, Ice girl. This doesn't concern you."

"This does concern me. Know why?" Haku stopped right in front of the older boy with a frosty glare, equivalent to her bloodline. "Because I have no complaints against Mizukage-sama's decision. Chojuro-kun showed his skill during the rebellion and I'm fully convinced of his ability to serve our recovering nation. You however…even if we're comrades in this exam, one action, one misstep…and no mercy will be granted."

Yoshanai clutched his weapon as Haku leaked some of her killing intent. Chojuro, from the sidelines, stared back and forth between his two teammates. He wanted to resolve this argument, his capacity as a shinobi being questioned as the source, but deep down Yoshanai's words struck a chord. Even Haku's comforting words didn't ease the pain much.

"You're lucky I need you alive to pass these exams. And even then, Zabuza will come after my ass if his precious bitch was killed." Having said his piece, Yoshanai stepped around Haku and continued his pace.

"U-um…Haku-san-"

"Be at ease, Chojuro-kun." She softly smiled at him to placate his worries. "Yoshanai unfortunately values the old tradition of Kirigakure. In his eyes, you're not worthy to be considered elite if bloodshed doesn't sate your sanity. But I believe in our current leader to change that. And the first step is to advance further in these exams. I cannot do this without your help, Chojuro-kun."

Nodding quicker than he thought, Chojuro hesitantly smiled. "I-I'll do my best, Haku-san."

"That's all I ask. Now shall we go? I want to keep Yoshanai in my sights at all times."

* * *

All of the Genin teams scattered in the Forest of Death searched fructuously for the two scrolls needed to pass. Some encountered wild animals and fought them on their territory. Other teams lightly treaded and set up traps to ensnare the enemy.

Yuwaku, as expected, was different.

She needed actual prey to sate her mother's sanity. Because she was a good daughter.

This leads to our current situation. The opposition, an Ame team due to the headbands, stood on the opposite side of the clearing with senbon ready at the fingertips.

"Mommy needs your blood. Needs it so _bad…" _Sand shot of the gourd without warning and instantly circled Yuwaku in a creepy manner.

"This baby faced Genin wants to mess with us, she'll get the pain. Release the first wave!" The two Genin in front threw their fisted senbon while the third member, a girl with orange hair and body wrapped around a cloak, prepared two umbrellas in each hand.

The circling sand immediately intercepted the incoming senbon, not even a single one went through despite the thin shape of a normal one. Yuwaku looked at the enemy and found them twirling their umbrellas in hand. Not too soon after that, all three members threw their umbrellas in the air above Yuwaku's head, teal eyes holding a small trace of curiosity.

"Jouro Senbon!(Senbon Shower!)"

Multiple senbon rained from the spinning weapons in the air on Yuwaku's position. Temari and Kankuro, who weren't far away, had their eyes wide but focused in anticipation.

Yuwaku didn't bat an eye. The sand automatically reacted by encasing her in an armored shell that took all of the damage for her. In the blackness of the sand shell, Yuwaku bent her head forward and chuckled for a quick moment. "Watch closely, Mommy….I'll make a proper shower for your eyes to see."

The waiting Ame team was about to prepare another Jouro Senbon attack, just in case the enemy didn't die, when something quickly latched onto the feet of the two male members. "W-what the-"

"Since you're from Amegakure, I'll give you, and especially Mother, a wonderful rain shower." Sand slowly fell from the armored shell, revealing an ugly smile that ruined attractive features. "A shower…filled with blood. Sabaku Kyu(Desert Coffin)."

* * *

"Geez, this place is creepy." Omoi jumped away from a leech that dropped from a higher branch above him. "See what I mean?!"

"Oh shut it, ya crybaby." Karui showed no fear as she traveled a few paces behind her blonde teammate. "We're Kumo shinobi trained by the great Kirabi-sama himself. Shit like this shouldn't faze you. Just look at Samui-sempai."

Indeed, Samui harbored an expertly crafted face of calm serenity and cold indifference to her surroundings. Ice blue eyes blinked each time they absorbed the forestry and registered the images in memory banks.

"But Samui is normally like that. Even when boys stare at her mountain tits or underestimate her, she just stares at you equivalent to someone not giving a crap. I can't do that to save my life."

Karui frowned. "Well maybe you should just-"

"We have company, you two." Samui's cool voice immediately made her teammates go tense in anticipation. Minutely shaking hands grabbed handles sticking out of waist bound sheaths.

"It must be fate that led me to find you lot in particular today." All three Kumo shinobi looked up to find a boy around their age glaring at them with growing hatred. He wore a khaki shirt with dark brown shorts and bandages wrapped around his right arm and leg. Long brown hair was tussled in a small breeze as the pale visage of Hyuuga Neji didn't take his eyes off of his adversaries.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Neji wasn't fazed by the crude question. "I'm Hyuuga Neji." Pale eyes hardened. "And fate has allowed me to pay a debt here and now." Without warning, he jumped forward and focused his bandaged hand into a spear straight at Samui. Said blonde moved to the side and avoided the incoming hand strikes. Sensing Karui behind her, Samui jumped and saw the redhead draw her blade for a wide slash. Reflexes kicked in for Neji as he bent his body backwards and angled his way out of the female swordsman's assault.

"Kumo-Ryu Mikazukigiri!(Cloud-Style Crescent Moon Beheading!)" Neji's eyes widened as he saw Omoi's prepare his katana for a decapitating strike. Hands quickly formed the seals for a Kawarimi and the result was a log being sliced in half instead of a torso.

Neji's dangers weren't finished due to the third member running at him with a tanto drawn. The small blade was met with a kunai as a small struggle for dominance began. Sweat rolled off of Neji's forehead as his strength was being tested before his opponent. Samui ended the tie with a clean cut, the kunai falling off of the tree broken beyond repair. A Shunshin caused Neji to retreat from his position and appear a few miles away. 'This is more difficult than I expected.'

"What is your reason for attacking us by yourself? This exam is focused on the quality of your team's joint capacity in different shinobi qualifications. Even if one is strong enough, it's uncool to take on a full squad by yourself. That's asking for a death wish." Samui didn't exactly say this speech word for word before but the intention was previously stated in her life.

Her hotheaded brother needed to chill out.

"My reason?" Neji closed his eyes while his hands formed fists. "It's simple really. Fate is giving me the chance to right what is wrong as seen by these very eyes. You Kumo shinobi, who flaunt their power and demand attention like uncouth vagabonds, dare to show your face around here after what you've done?!"

"How dare you speak about Kumo like that, you Konoha trash!"

Neji's Byakugan came to life, veins bulging from his forehead in the process. "I'll claim my justice with your lives. Here and now!"

Three foreign shinobi clashed with one native shinobi, revenge etched in his current mindset.

* * *

"Ku ku ku ku ku….now what will you do, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke had a kunai in her hand as she quickly evaluated her situation. This kunoichi literally came out of nowhere and made short work of her team. A wild snake ambushed Sai, his current status unknown, and Sakura didn't waste any time in showing how useless she was as a kunoichi. As least she was unconscious below her with the enemy not paying her any attention.

As for her…well aside from a now bleeding shoulder to force her fear senses away, she was alive. That was all that mattered.

Now to answer that question.

"What will I do?" Blood red dominated her eye color. "You won't let me off easily. The only option is to kill you and be on my way."

The enemy 'kunoichi' revealed sharp fangs in a downright creepy smile. "Kill me? Rather bold aren't you? But if looked at from an expert's perspective, prey tends to perform last ditch efforts to survive. Even against a strong predator."

"I've encountered foes stronger than you. You'll just be another stepping stone on my path-"

"On your path to killing Itachi?" The 'kunoichi' didn't let that info process quick as she slid towards Sasuke, unnatural movements forcing the raven avenger to pay attention for now. Two shuriken flew from her hands as they got stuck in the tree's thick branches due to an unexpected dodging maneuver.

The kunoichi opened her mouth to reveal a snake with its sharp fangs ready to kill its prey. Sasuke jumped away from it and sliced another one that ended up too close for comfort. Speaking of close, her opponent used the distraction to engage her in Taijutsu. Sasuke struck in retaliation with two measured fists that were dodged due to immense flexibility. Her chance to dodge came when her roundhouse kick failed to connect. She used the hands already flat on the branch's surface and gracefully jumped to another tree.

As her sandal covered feet touched the branch, a snake wrapped itself around Sasuke's torso, arms forced to stay close to her body.

"Impressive. But not good enough for Itachi, Sasuke-chan."

Hearing that taboo name made Sasuke focus her Sharingan eyes on the reptile. Its slit eyes looked unfocused as it slowly slithered away from Sasuke. Hands free and cheeks enlarged due to breath intake, her counterattack was ready. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!(Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)"

Hot flames spewed from Sasuke's mouth went straight towards the 'kunoichi' who didn't even move from 'her' spot. As a result, the shape of the enemy faded from existence as the flame engulfed them.

Sasuke stopped her technique once she saw the silhouette disappear. But instincts screamed to not trust the image before her. Heed them she did as instead of a flaming corpse resting on the branch, dissolved mud was there.

'Mud?'

Sasuke didn't have time to question it further when a jab connected with her stomach. Blood flew from her lips as a follow up slap across the face made Sasuke crash into a tree.

"I knew that there was something special in you, Sasuke-chan." The real 'kunoichi' walked slowly, a predator measuring its prey. "A latent emotion that desperately tries to take over your very being. A hunger that Konoha won't help you satisfy."

Sasuke knew her vision was a bit blurry, blood flowing from her shoulder and her lips. It would be so easy to close her eyes and let her aching wounds recover…

"A carnal desire to kill the one who ruined your life forever."

Itachi's face, as impassive and emotionless as always, appeared in her mind. Sharingan eyes whirled into existence as they judged her with empty criticism.

"Yes." Sasuke's emotion started to leak from her posture. "Itachi has committed a wrong that cannot be forgiven. And only the strong can erase his existence."

"W-why?" She hated the delivery of that question. Her voice sounded so weak. "Why do you spout _his _name?"

"Why? Because I've encountered that vermin before. And he is unworthy of living any longer." Especially since that brat almost ruined his goals. Such sweet revenge to return payback in this form.

Sasuke let the words run through her mind as Itachi's image spouted his last words to her. '_Run…run and cling to your precious life. All the while being weak and pitiful, harboring intense hatred for me. But will you have the strength to comfort me with these same eyes, foolish little sister?'_

Sasuke saw something deeper in that mini speech. Beyond the direct insult at her character…was a challenge.

She stood on her two feet again.

A challenge her older brother set before her.

One more tomoe whirled in her eyes, pleasing the 'kunoichi'.

And Uchiha Sasuke would be_ damned _if she ran away from this!

"Itachi…I'll be the one to erase your life. Forever." Lightning sparked in her hand as Sasuke charged forward.

* * *

"You've done enough damage here. Just turn around and walk away." Naruto didn't expect to get into conflict so early on in the second stage but that's what happens when you take a piss break near a fight.

And he couldn't stand by while lives were taken in such a brutal manner. He couldn't see it but the orange haired girl behind him absorbed his features with open gratefulness.

"You….I remember you…" Sand whirled in a tempting manner. "You pushed me aside the other day….like common trash…." Yuwaku stepped forward, sand ready to strike. "Mommy didn't like that….I didn't either."

"What are you taking about? I didn't do anything to you!" Push her aside? Naruto never met this chick before today. He swore that was the case. Stealing a glance at her hitai-ate, his point was solid since he never went to Sunagakure. He met a Suna ninja, Pakura nee-chan, but that was it. So when-

Wait. Yesterday when he was running away from Ichiraku's….did he…

Oh shit.

He didn't even get to apologize because sand shot toward him.

* * *

**And everybody was kung fu figh-wait. This is Naruto. Ahem. **

**As always, hope you enjoyed. More action next chapter(still needs work). Criticism is gold(No you're eyes aren't fooling you. That girl is the animal path. Just a feeling but keep an eye on her.) Edit 7-16-2013: Updated Gaara's name.**


	17. Brawl under Dark Leaves (Part 2)

"Alright. Break times over." Making sure her weapons were accounted for, Tenten rolled up all of her scrolls and secured them in her pouches. In all honestly, she wanted to sit still for a bit longer and read the new books she received from her competition.

These were fucking good books.

She understood as much from the first chapter of the intermediate level book. The core detail and lessons were complicated but the notes all over the place REALLY simplified things for her in perspective. In exchange, she had to learn about things that were better made for a diary or something. No one needs to know about sealing one million bowls of ramen as a life goal. Or claiming to have outsmarted a wild animal.

Tenten was surprised her eyes didn't fall out of her head from the amount of times she rolled them due to the endless 'I'M AWESOME' quotes. Men and their damn ego.

"Lee, you ready?"

Upon hearing his teammate's name, Lee finished his quick push up session and stood at attention. "I am always ready to go, Tenten! Our youth still needs to shine yet!"

Shaking her head, Tenten looked around for a moment before pointing out the obvious. "Where's Neji?"

"He still hasn't returned from his scouting espionage, Tenten."

"Really? That's strange. Neji is usually punctual about these sorts of things. Let's find him."

"We shall, Tenten! Team Gai's youth shines when all three are present at once!"

Tenten just shook her head and leapt on a tree with Lee following. Such a hyper one, that teammate of hers.

* * *

'Okay. How to escape raging sands of terror?' Naruto was literally dancing for his life. As soon as his opponent launched her attack, she didn't let up for one second. Too many times he touched death's grip when the sand wrapped around his leg or arms. And his temporary ally wasn't faring any better. The orange haired Ame nin was slowly losing steam each time she exerted energy for a flip or a high jump. It wouldn't be long before the sand enraptured her.

Time for some decisive action.

Naruto changed tactics from encircling his foe to directly charging straight at her. During his run, he griped a kunai and channeled chakra into his arm while maneuvering through the onslaught of sand. Once the distance required it, Naruto pumped more chakra into his legs for a powered jump into the air and threw his kunai along with a bomb ball.

Yuwaku immediately looked up and guided her sand to block the kunai and the incoming bomb. The sand wrapped itself around the object and immediately crushed it. But the strangest thing happened.

There was no BOOM! in the air. Was that last bomb a du-

A blinding light forced teal eyes to shut in response.

* * *

"That was close." As soon as he saw his plan work, Naruto quickly grabbed the Ame girl and ran several miles away from the crazy redhead. Good thing to because as soon as he met up with his team, he was changing his clothes.

Having sand constantly grind your ass was not fun!

"W-why?"

Hearing the quiet question, Naruto responded in kind. "Why what?"

"Why did y-you risk your life…to…save me? Aren't we from….different countries?"

Naruto blinked twice before flashing his patented 'foxy' grin. "Does it matter if we're born on different soil? I won't let a life be taken in such a way if I could help it. That's how Uzumaki Naruto rolls, dattebayo!" Wait for it…."SHIT! I mean, that how _Menma _rolls! Oh, damn it!"

The orange haired girl just blinked twice as the redhead in front of her had both hands on his skull and muttered words her mother would never say.

Oh how she missed her.

"Um…what do we do now…er…?"

'You do have company, idiot. Get it together.'

'Right.' Rubbing his head, Naruto turned to his company. "Look, I can trust you to keep a secret, right?" The Ame girl blinked twice before slowly nodding in conformation. "My name is really Naruto but for this test, I'm Menma."

"Er, okay Menma-san. What shall we do now?"

Naruto made a nose of contemplation before he looked in the direction of the Suna nin. "If there are enemies like that in the forest, I can't leave you alone. You can tag along with my team until the end of this exam. How's that sound?"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not! Besides, your team isn't around to protect you anymore. Sorry about that, by the way."

The girl looked down before she spoke. "It wasn't your fault…" Truth be told, the loss of her teammates didn't really faze her. Both of them were cruel and annoying. She didn't do anything about that because it wasn't in her nature to assert any kind of dominance. But to offed in such a way. Death by crushing sand. Just thinking about it brought chills down her spine.

And the haunting face of that redhead girl assured her nightmares tonight.

"Still, I can't leave you alone. Let's find my team quickly." Naruto stretched his hand in front of the girl's face. Mist grey eyes stared at the appendage before looking at the bright smile directed at her. This boy put so much faith in her, a foreign nobody and basically risked his life for her safety. Just maybe…

A soft hand revealed itself from the cloak and lightly held the gloved one.

'Hmph.' Inside the cage, Kyuubi dismissed the scene and frowned at the recent revelations. Shukaku certainly wastes no time in mindraping its host. That little human girl could have been a harmless being once upon a time. Sadly that's never the case when it comes to the sand demon. Being the most unstable of the nine demons, Shukaku wouldn't rest until his victim was just as insane as him.

In fact, he wouldn't let the host rest. Period.

'Something to discuss with the idiot later.' Chuckling at her own joke, Kyuubi made herself comfortable in her fox form and watched Naruto leap into the trees with his new friend.

Not long after that, she shot up from her position and looked in a random direction. Slit red eyes were narrowed for a moment before returning to its normal posture.

* * *

Neji could honestly say his first real experience against Kumo shinobi could have gone better. As in, a more preferable scenario were instead of the battle being three on one, it would be one on one. At that point, one didn't need to understand fate to know that victory belonged to him. But oceans never stay still…

Neji ducked underneath a wide swing before swaying from two side swipes. The next strike was parried with his hastily drawn kunai and he used that momentum to pivot on his right foot and lash out with a lancer strike. As predicted, his foe, the redhead, jumped away out of fear for chakra nullification. The heightened sight of the Byakugan saw the lone male member jump towards his flank with his sword raised. Neji waited until the last moment to counterattack. He spun with his chakra charged hand and batted the sword away from his opponent's clutches and made direct contact with his skull.

"Omoi!" Seeing her teammate slide helplessly down a tree, Karui focused her rage on the pale bastard staring at her and drew her sword. A battle cry left her lips as she engaged the Hyuuga. Sword attacks that were once focused and almost graceful were now fueled with rage and misdirection. As a result, each attack was dodged with little to no effort. Even when she charged her sword with Raiton chakra and did a Reverse Beheading, the only thing that accomplished was making a large dent on a sturdy tree.

"Do you see how hopeless your situation is now?"

Gritting her teeth, Karui decided to pull one more trick out of the bag. Secretly, she pumped her right arm with chakra and honed in on Neji's signature. Then without warning, she charged from the branch she stood on and yelled her next attack. "Lariat!"

If it was someone else, they would probably be scared and try to run away from the lightning charged arm. Neji only scoffed and outstretched his arms and extended his foot a few feet from his center.

It happened in slow motion for him.

His fingers joined in a concentrated position and instantly stabbed downward, rewarding himself with a yell of pain once he connected with the appendage. To follow up, he jabbed two fingers from his other hand into Karui's stomach which made her cough blood. Neji finished his assault by lifting the redhead with his palm and throwing her over his shoulder into a tree behind him.

"And that shows the difference between our strength. Life dictates that from the moment you are born."

When he turned around, he saw the blond kunoichi carry her male teammate with his arm over her shoulder. Neji clearly saw the hate in those ice blue eyes of hers. He gave her credit for trying to mask it with a visage of aloofness. But the Hyuuga clan was notorious for being masters in that area. Along with being the strongest clan.

"Don't think I haven't been keeping an eye on you. No matter how much you study my style of fighting, it will be your fate to lose regardless."

"Samui, it's your call. Karui is out of it but maybe if we can-"

"I handle this guy. It was uncool of him to directly get in our way. To injure us and have that attitude…" Besides, the rules of the exam stated that all members of a Genin had to be present with the necessary items to pass. Despite this asshole's attitude, Samui's opponent was a Hyuuga. One of the most dangerous clans in the Elemental Nations. She didn't want any more harm done to her team.

Besides, she saw enough and already had plans in motion.

"You know where our retreat point is. Take Karui there and recuperate. I'll join you shortly." With a shaky but determined nod, Omoi carried Karui bridal style and disappeared into the forest.

"Hmph. Just so you know, I won't be stated until all three of you fall before me. But feel proud knowing the pain comes sooner rather than later." With that, Neji fell into his traditional Jyuuken(Gentle Fist) stance.

Samui drew her tanto and bent her knees slightly, body tense and ready for the coming battle.

Neji deemed it appropriate to strike so with speed honed from his training with the famed Sublime Green Beast of Konoha, he came upon his prey with swift forward motions all the while avoiding retaliatory tanto attacks. He aimed for the shoulder but instead of connecting with clothed flesh, Samui rolled it and instantly backed away. But the time wasn't wasted because she immediately formed hand seals. "Raiton: Jibashi!(Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!)" Since Samui got her opponent on solid ground again, she utilized the first of her techniques. With joined hands, Samui touched the ground and let the current tear through solid rock towards her foe who immediately jumped onto the branch above him. Samui capitalized on that tactic and Shunshin'd in front of Neji. Her tanto was immediately aimed for the jugular but instead of blood flying in the air, strands of brown hair gently flew in the wind. In retribution, Neji prepared another close range attack in the form of a chop but Samui had another jutsu on the ready. 'When did she?'

"Raiton: Hiraishin!(Lightning Release: Lightning Rod!)" With one hand raised in the air and two fingers on Neji's forearm, bolts of electricity traveled from her body to Neji's which got the young Hyuuga to have uncontrollable spasms. Samui couldn't stab her foe because through his pain, he still managed to lash out with a forward strike so she backed away and watched Neji fall on one knee with sparks all over his body. 'That should disable him.'

'Damn it. I got too careless.' Could you blame him? His whole style relied on close range domination. He didn't expect his opponent to have some tricks to deal with that. Maybe he underestimated this kunoichi _slightly_. She still wouldn't win the battle anyway.

With sparks still around his body, Neji looked up at Samui and gritted his teeth. "If you think this will stop me," With sheer willpower, Neji stood tall on his two feet even though they still twitched every few seconds. "Then you're wrong!"

Samui barely dodged his second attempt at another straight chop to the face. But that didn't stop because he didn't let up on his assault. Not risking a hand strike, Neji lashed out with a roundhouse that as predicted was blocked. Narrowing his eyes, Neji put more force into his leg and managed to get Samui to lose the struggle war and temporarily rendered her immobile. He capitalized on that chance and struck the chakra nodes on her left shoulder. Wanting to continue the damage, Neji aimed for her thigh but gave space when the tanto was drawn with her right hand. A kunai was drawn to be equal weapon wise and he lunged forward again.

Continuous pangs rung through the forest as Samui kept Neji at bay with her tanto skills. Even though she was forced to put more strength in her right hand, it was enough to avoid another direct charka strike.

Having your chakra blocked was _seriously _uncool.

Deciding to go for some distance, Samui shifted her tanto for a stab aimed at Neji's midsection. When she saw him judge her next attack, Samui retreated with a backflip and fingered a kunai wrapped with an explosive tag while in midair. With one quick flick of her wrist, Samui saw the kunai head towards Neji who widened his eyes at the quick maneuver.

Now with some breathing room, Samui assessed the damage done to her. Aside from that one screw up to the shoulder and a few nicks here and there, thank god her top didn't get ruined, she was still raring to go.

And by the looks of things, her opponent was too.

Neji, he silently admitted to himself, would have been worse off had he not thrown his kunai at the last second. His clothes were ruffled and burned from the close range Raiton jutsu. And his muscles still twitched uncontrollably but for the most part he was still raring to go.

"I'm still wondering why you decided to attack my team as recklessly as you did. Only the most uncool Genin would dare do something like that. And from raw hearsay, the Hyuuga are supposed to be one of the more _refined _clans in the nation." Samui was taking a gamble but if things worked in her favor, the chances of quickly disabling her foe and getting back to her team while she still sported minor injuries grow higher.

Neji's frown grew at the hidden potshot. "You wonder why I attack you in such a way? I never realized Kumo shinobi were brainless along with being savages."

Samui twitched but stayed rooted in her spot. If she was Karui, her immediate goal would have been to lacerate the Hyuuga's head from his body. But Samui had the self-control to not react at the direct insult to her village.

"It's because of you that our village had to make an unnecessary sacrifice!" One step along with veins bulging even further. "It's because of you that I been reduced to a caged bird doomed to be a permanent minority in my clan!" A quick dash and Neji was on Samui's position. "It's because of you that my father had to forfeit his life for the sake of correcting utter foolishness!"

Samui barely kept up with Neji's invigorated assault on her. She slapped his right hand away from her forearm but his left came just as quickly. Her tanto proved useless as well because as soon as he brought it up for defense, Neji kicked it away with a chakra charged roundhouse. She saw two fingers aimed for her torso and angled her body out of the way but she couldn't dodge the contact made on her right thigh, left shoulder and right pectoral muscle. Barely having a solid defense to match her foe, Samui attempted a quick haymaker but that was countered when Neji grabbed it and reeled her in for a painful palm strike to the stomach.

Spit flew from her mouth as Samui harshly fell to the floor, with the majority of her chakra network suppressed. This was not cool!

Feet touched the ground as Neji walked forward with purpose. "And now, this will be the first step to exact well deserved vengeance. Know that this was your fate from the beginning. Accept it!"

Samui saw her life flash for a moment as Neji's curved hand came closer to her heart. Her team, full of quirks yet refreshing personalities came to mind. Her inspiration, Nii Yugito. Her and sensei and bad rapper, Kirabi.

Her hot blooded brother, Atsui.

'This…isn't cool.'

As her smooth face was resigned to her fate, she heard someone in the distance.

"Neji!"

She saw it. Her chance to escape!

While Neji had his head turned to whoever called his name, she Shunshin'd as far away as she could.

* * *

The light! The blinding light!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Yuwaku had her head in pale hands as her teal eyes were sealed shut. One moment, she was savoring the sight of watching her prey struggle for dear life. The next, the redheaded fool threw something that her sand automatically crushed with no trouble.

Then her eyes experienced the most meretricious sight in her life.

It made her mother howl for bloody murder. Anything to please her mother.

Another scream escaped her lips as she ran into the forest. She didn't notice or care that her 'siblings' followed her.

* * *

Sasuke parried another punch and ducked her head from the following one. In retaliation, she steered a fist of her own at the pale face mocking her and saw unnatural gold eyes taunt her. Once again, her foe escaped most of her attacks with dodging ability that wasn't normal. Her low sweep was evaded and her splits kick hit nothing but the branch below her.

Even though her mind was more focused and in control, Sasuke still had a miserable time with this Orochimaru guy. One of the only times she landed a solid blow against him, a kunai slash to the face, instead of blood spurts there was….she couldn't even describe it.

Her kunai just _peeled _his face. He laughed that time and as a 'reward for showing excellent skills', he told her his real name. Something in the back of her mind told her that the name should have been familiar. But nothing clicked.

Her life was more important in real time so that matter was shoved aside.

"Ku ku ku ku….what's wrong, Sasuke-chan? I do hope you continue to entertain me."

'Chidori can finish him. I just need to lure him and go for the punishing blow when his guard is down.' Sasuke reached into her pouch and but her fingers through two shuriken. Spinning them a few times, she finally let them go and ignited them with a small Katon jutsu.

As expected, her foe dodged all of them but Sasuke quickly started her close quarter plans. Orochimaru blocked her axe kick and parried two punches and another kick aimed for his face. Her other leg tried to clock him again but he grabbed the muscle and applied pressure to it. Ignoring the administered pain, Sasuke clenched her fist and shot forward to have it blocked. Her combo continued on when her other leg slammed into his forearm. All of her attacks failed.

"Ku ku…effective Taijutsu, Sasuke-chan. Not as flexible as mine but good enough."

Good thing relying on Taijutsu wasn't Sasuke's plan to end the battle. Mustering on the little strength she had left, Sasuke angled her foot to push it off of Orochimaru's face and maneuvered her body in midair while gathering the chakra in her hand. 'This is it.' In another burst of speed, Sasuke scored with a knee to the gut while Orochimaru was still dazed and he fell off the tree. 'Now.'

Falling after her foe, Sasuke relished in the look of fear on the pale face staring at her. Raising her crackling arm, Sasuke yelled as she struck at the same time Orochimaru's back collided with the ground. "Chidori!"

Rocks flew in the air as Sasuke's technique pierced Orochimaru's stomach. His mouth stretched in a permanent expression of fear as blood exited his mouth. Sasuke quickly flipped away from the now dead corpse and shook her hand free of the blood and flesh on her hands. 'With that.'

It was a long and tiring fight but Sasuke felt proud in beating a strong foe. One step closer.

Wanting to confirm her kill, Sasuke held her left arm as she slowly walked forward while her Sharingan deactivated. Now standing about the corpse, Sasuke breathed heavily but noted the stillness and blood decorating the tan colored clothing. That facial expression freaked her out, mostly because of the open mouth and gold eyes looking at the sky. "Thank Kami, it's over."

"Don't assume the obvious, Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke's mouth opened in a silent scream as she felt her neck being bitten into like a predator capturing its prey. 'B-but…didn't I…' Before Sasuke fell to her knees, the corpse in front of her turned into a now decaying snake. 'A fake…'

Orochimaru walked around and knelt before Sasuke, hand caressing the attractive face like a porcelain doll. "As a thanks for entertaining me and showing her strength, embrace the gift I administered to her. May its power accel you to new heights."

That was the last thing Sasuke heard before she fell forward and blacked out.

* * *

"Training with Aniki is more fun that listening to him ramble about duty and other crap, ya know?"

'Your brother is only reminding you of your purpose in regards to your service to Kumo. I honestly don't blame him because most things fly over your head if it doesn't involve your inane rapping talent.'

"Hey! My rapping talent is numbah one in the world, ya fool! No one can match the supreme mastery of words from yours truly, ya stupid fool!"

Ugh. Good friends they may be but if Gyuuki could get rid of one aspect of Bee's personality, it would definitely be his-

'Bee! I sense something ahead of you! Look sharp!'

Hearing the sudden urgent tone of his partner, Kirabi squinted his eyes and had a hand shadow his eyes. His home of Unraikyo(Valley of Clouds and Lightning) always was a pleasing sight to his eyes. To the numerous mountain ranges that made the terrain all the more strenuous yet beneficial to Kumo's defense. To the misty fog that surrounds the mountains to give a somewhat ethereal quality. To the clear water flowing between the rocks(fresh and full of fish!). Even the random dude meditating in front his cavern knew the drill. The place was so tranquil that one could simply close their eyes, concentrate, and train in relative peace.

Wait. Something wasn't right. Bee rubbed his goatee for a moment while Gyuuki inwardly face palmed.

Oh right!

"Hey! The hell are you doing here, ya fool, ya stupid fool!"

The mysterious figure got up from his meditative position and focused his eyes on Bee. Power subtly poured from his being as he marched down the steps. Fair skin slowly turned grey and wings(the hell?!) protruded from his back.

A sudden dash and he was right in Bee's face.

* * *

**And that's a wrap. Geez, fight scenes is like sculpting a statue. Or something like that. Anyways, I actually want to rant for a bit so if you're not interested, hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**So this rant is about the Naruto Fanfiction archive. And before you rage, this isn't me bashing. Its really me pointing out some things. I'll admit it. Part of the reason why I don't update every day or every 3-4 days is because of me reading other fics and enjoying them. But as you know, 'quality' stories are hard to find because of these recurring themes.**

**Naruto/Sasuke yaoi stories**

**Time Travel Stories**

**Kekkei Genkai domination stories**

**Naruto/Hinata stories**

**Godlike Naruto stories**

**Wanting to serve Konoha stories**

**More often than not, its these stories that I keep seeing. Now my point is...curiosity. Where did the whole 'time travel' madness come from? Why do people want to so may Yaoi stories on the same couple? Why do people still [air the same people when their are other females that need attention? Is Naruto that weak that his old personality needs to go and become some generic BAMF/Darth Vader?**

**Just...why? I'm not asking out of despair. Just curiosity. **

**That's my mini rant for today. Criticism is gold. **

**Sabaku no Yuwaku= Desert Temptress **


End file.
